INDIANAPOLIS – The other half of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour was released with Walsh claiming the top spot in the East Division.
 
Hillsdale was tabbed as the West Division preseason favorite while the Cavaliers ran away in the balloting for the East with six first-place votes and 79 total points.
 
Defending East Division champion Lake Erie was the preseason runner-up with the other first-place vote and 70 points from the league’s coaches. Malone was ranked third with 63 points while Davis & Elkins earned fourth with 44 points.
 
Ursuline will start the year in fifth while Ohio Valley and Alderson Broaddus round out the seven-team standings, respectively.
 
The Cavaliers represented the East well by advancing into the conference tournament semifinals a year ago and would go on to finish with a 21-win season under head coach Kassie Kadera.
 
It was Walsh’s maiden voyage through the Great Midwest and a program that is tested in the postseason boasts senior leadership with Paola Ferrario, Olivia Zanolli, Erica Shiets and Amanda Adoranti, all back for their final encore. Lauren Loucks, Ferrario and Zanolli all made the all-conference second team.
 
As a first-year league member, Lake Erie made a splash with 26 wins and a division record of 15-3 to run away with the East title during the regular season. The Storm went through a coaching change in the offseason as Kevin Foeman took the job at Midwest Region school Ashland.
 
Enter first-year head coach Kyle Peck in Painesville, who will install his system coming from DII Carson-Newman. Like Walsh, LEC also advanced into the conference tournament semifinals in 2017.
 
Malone and Davis & Elkins each earned conference championship bids last season, a feat that becomes more and more difficult as the league expansion comes full circle. The Pioneers fared well in divisional play with 12 wins while the Senators collected 10.
 
Senior Mallory Adams has earned all-conference honors in both seasons Malone has been a member of the Great Midwest. She will be a senior standout along the front line for the Pioneers.
 
Ursuline’s success hinges on the production of talented junior outside hitter Vikki Henderson, who put up numbers that flew under the radar a season ago. She earned second team all-conference honors as a sophomore.
 
Ohio Valley and Alderson Broaddus each had nine victories as a program last season as both schools continue to adjust with relatively new coaches at the helm.


Great Midwest Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour
East Division
 

School	Points
1. Walsh (6 first-place votes)	79
2. Lake Erie (1 first-place vote)	70
3. Malone	63
4. Davis & Elkins	44
5. Ursuline	35
6. Ohio Valley	27
7. Alderson Broaddus	21