INDIANAPOLIS—The Great Midwest released the preseason poll for the 2024 volleyball season, as voted on by the league’s coaches. Cedarville, Hillsdale, and Walsh were voted as the division favorites for the upcoming season. The Chargers and Cavaliers each received a league-high 11 first-place votes.
 
Hillsdale, 27-7 in 2023, has won the G-MAC tournament for seven consecutive years. The Chargers will look to replace Player of the Year Alli Wiese, but return first-team selections in Maizie Brown and Marilyn Popplewell. Brown had the league’s highest hitting percentage last season at .364 on 546 total attacks. She broke the Hillsdale single-season blocks record with 44. Brown then went on to earn MVP at the conference championship. Popplewell, one of the league’s top outside hitters, led the Chargers in kills with 394. She went on to earn AVCA honorable mention all-American honors as well as All-Midwest honors.
 
The Cavaliers were the favorite in the East Division after having one of the best seasons in program history. Under 2023 Coach of the Year Brett Holt, Walsh started the 2023 season 18-0, including the team’s first program victory over North Division favorite Hillsdale. Holt returns four all-conference selections in Anna West, Sammie DiBease, Sydney Dixon, and Arora Levengood. West, a senior middle hitter, ranked fifth in the conference with a .325 hitting percentage. Levengood is another top returner for Walsh. She led the team with 502 digs, which ranked sixth overall in the conference. Walsh finished the season 25-6 and will look to make a run at their first G-MAC Championship title.
 
In the  South Division, Cedarville garnered nine first-place votes as the Yellow Jackets return the Freshman of the Year in Madelyn Hensley. During her freshman campaign, Hensley finished second in the league in kills at 419 (3.61 per set). Janae Heegard is another top returner for Cedarville after being voted second team all-conference last season. Heegard held the conference’s sixth-highest hitting percentage at .323 through 121 sets.
 
Findlay, Ashland, and Ohio Dominican each earned at least one first-place vote in their respective divisions.
 
For the Oilers, Emma White and Kenzie Hoelscher are the top returners after being voted first-team all-conference last season. White led the league in assists, averaging 10.51 per set. Hoelscher registered the league’s third-highest hitting percentage at .352.
 
Senior outside hitter Lauren Lucas will return for the Panthers. Lucas was a second-team selection after leading Ohio Dominican in kills with 3.00 per set.  
 
The Eagles will look to replace libero Katie Thompson under second-year head coach Katie Kuhn. In her first year at the helm of Ashland volleyball, Kuhn led the Eagles to a 22-10 overall record and a South Division title.
 
The 2024 season is slated to start on September 6 with 19 matches taking place.