EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The Great Lakes Valley Conference volleyball coaches’ have predicted the University of Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles will finish sixth in the league in 2010 according to the GLVC Coaches’ Poll.
USI, which was 18-15 overall and 9-5 in the GLVC a year ago, received 130 points to finish ahead of seventh-place Drury University and behind fifth-place Rockhurst University.
Last season, the Eagles concluded the GLVC regular season in sixth place, but advanced to the GLVC Tournament semifinals for the second straight season and the seventh time in 10 years.
Under the direction of sixth-year Head Coach Leah Mercer, the Eagles have a strong cast of returning players to mix with another strong recruiting class. Senior outside hitter Brittani Oliver and junior middle blocker Danielle LaGrange figure to be among the top-returning players in 2010.
Oliver, who needs just 86 kills to become the 10th player in school history to reach 1,000, averaged a team-high 2.93 kills per set in 2009, ranking her 11th in the GLVC. LaGrange, who racked up 27 kills against the University of Indianapolis in the GLVC Tournament last season, was second on the team and 12th in the GLVC with 2.83 kills per set. She also was 10th in the league with a team-best .304 attacking percentage.
Indianapolis, the defending GLVC Tournament and NCAA II Midwest Region champion, received 11 first-place votes and 193 points to top the coaches’ preseason favorites. Lewis University, the defending GLVC regular-season champions, had two first-place votes and 179 points to be picked second.
The University of Missouri-St. Louis, with one first-place votes and 163 points, was picked third, while Northern Kentucky University was picked fourth with 158 points. Rockhurst received a first-place vote and 143 points to round out the top five, while Drury (113 points), Bellarmine University (97 points), the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (96 points), and Saint Joseph’s College (81 points) rounded out the top 10.
Missouri University of Science & Technology (74 points) and Quincy University (65 points) were picked to finish 11th and 12th, respectively, while the University of Illinois-Springfield (36 points), Maryville University (31 points), and Kentucky Wesleyan College (16 points) rounded out the poll.
USI opens its two-a-day practice schedule Monday at 7 a.m. The Eagles first scrimmage is August 21 and their first match is September 3.