Coyotes Lead the Way in 2009 CCC Volleyball Coaches Preseason Poll

8/13/2009 7:55:40 AM

PORTLAND, Ore. – Defending Cascade Collegiate Conference volleyball champion College of Idaho is a solid favorite to retain the title it captured last year, according to a preseason vote of the league’s head coaches.

The Yotes, who edged Southern Oregon by one game in the regular season standings in 2008 and then went on to beat the Raiders in the league’s tournament title game, earned eight of 10 first-place votes in the preseason poll. C of I totaled 98 points in all, nine better than SOU, which garnered one first-place vote and 87 points. Eastern Oregon, which claimed the other first-place vote, was predicted to finish third. The Mountaineers were followed by Oregon Tech, Concordia, Corban, Northwest, Warner Pacific, Northwest Christian, and Evergreen.

College of Idaho, which finished 19th in the NAIA rankings a year ago, returns six starters and 17 letterwinners from last year’s club, which went 24-10 overall and advanced to the national tournament. Top returnees for ninth-year head coach Liz Mendiola include a trio of All-CCC selections – senior outside hitter Sarah Buhler (team-high 339 kills in 2008), senior middle blocker Kristin Henning (school record .398 hitting percentage), and junior setter/outside hitter Naomi Reimer (223 kills, 542 assists). C of I also returns setter Madie Machurek (746 assists, 28 aces) and junior libero Whitney Owen (436 digs, 32 aces).

Southern Oregon returns four starters, but must account for the loss of senior Lindsey Stone, the two-time CCC Player of the Year who is sitting out the 2009 season as a medical redshirt. Key returnees for third-year coach Josh Rohlfing include outside hitters Leanne Stennett and Sarah Holgen and libero Maggie Rivers.

Easter Oregon, which went 20-10 and tied for fourth (14-6) in the CCC last year, returns 14 letterwinners and five starters from last year’s squad, including honorable mention All-American Grace DeBoodt and first team All-CCC choice Jessica Lea.

Oregon Tech, picked to finish fourth in the league standings, is coming off a 22-7 record and a 16-4 (third place) conference record in 2008. Third-year coach Angela Stewart has seven letterwinners back, including junior Megan Christensen (2.90 kills per game), junior Mikayla Morgan (1.49 kills per game), sophomore Sarah Svedin (28 aces, 1.73 digs per game) and senior Krystie Vea (26 aces, 3.71 digs per game).

The 2009 campaign gets underway Aug. 21 with six CCC teams in action. The top four teams in the final regular season CCC standings will advance to the league’s postseason tournament Nov. 13-14. The CCC tournament winner will earn the league’s automatic bid to the NAIA Championships.

2009 CCC Volleyball Coaches' Preseason Poll