ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) released the 2024 Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll on Thursday with the University of Northwestern Eagles being predicted to win the regular season championship. The poll is voted on by all the head coaches in the conference. Coaches cannot vote for their own team.
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#1: Northwestern Eagles (49 Points, 7 First-Place Votes)
The Eagles led the preseason poll with 49 points and all seven first-place votes from their conference competitors. Last year, Northwestern went 32-5 overall with an undefeated 14-0 record in the UMAC to win the Volleyball Regular Season Championship; their 20
th in program history.
UNW went on to win the UMAC Volleyball Tournament Championship, the 17
th in their program history, to advance to the NCAA DIII Volleyball Championship tournament. The Eagles won their opening national postseason match with a 3-0 sweep of Edgewood. Northwestern then won back-to-back 3-2 thrillers against No. 25 Cornell and No. 4 Wisconsin-Whitewater to win their regional championship and advance to the Elite Eight for the second consecutive year. UNW fell 3-2 to No. 6 NYU in their national quarterfinal match.
This season, Northwestern returns the three-time AVCA First Team All-American outside hitter Abby Glanzer for her senior season. Glanzer looks to follow up a 2023 campaign in which she was named UMAC Player of the Year after averaging 4.30 kills per set, 2.67 digs per set, and recording 48 aces. Ari Schmidt also returns for her senior season after earning AVCA Second-Team All-American honors with 2.94 kills per set and 71 blocks. Marley Aune rounds out the returning All-American trio for the Eagles, looking to build on a 2023 sophomore campaign that earned her AVCA Third Team All-American honors with 2.23 kills per set and 1.07 blocks per set.
Northwestern enters the 2024 season just three wins away from reaching the 1,000 program win mark. The Eagles will seek that milestone while starting the season with nine of their first eleven matches will be against teams ranked on the final 2023 AVCA Top 25 Poll.
#2: Minnesota Morris Cougars (40 Points, 1 First-Place Vote)
The University of Minnesota Morris Cougars placed second in the preseason poll with 40 points and the remaining first-place vote. The Cougars placed second in the regular season last spring with a 12-2 UMAC record while going 20-8 overall.
Minnesota Morris was the No. 2 seed in the 2023 UMAC Tournament. The Cougars fell to the No. 3 seed University of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets in a 3-1 upset in the tournament semifinals.
Laura Wellbrock returns to the Cougars for her senior season coming off of a 2023 campaign in which she averaged 2.59 kills per set, 0.44 service aces per set, and 2.55 digs per set to earn First Team All-UMAC honors. Aca Brunn returns as well for her junior season after earning Honorable Mention All-UMAC with 5.08 digs per set. Tori Scheler, a middle hitter, will look to follow up her 2023 season in which she had a .287 hitting percentage and .81 blocks per set.
Minnesota Morris will be setting a new milestone this season as for the first time in program history the team will have two sisters playing together as siblings Madeline and Melanie Monaco take the court for the Cougars.
#3: UW-Superior Yellowjackets (39 Points)
The University of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets took third in the preseason poll with 39 points. UWS finished third in the 2023 regular season with a 10-4 conference record, going 19-11 overall.
As the No. 3 seed in the 2023 UMAC Tournament, UW-Superior upset the No. 2 seed Minnesota Morris Cougars with a 3-1 victory in the tournament semifinals. In the UMAC Tournament championship match against the Northwestern Eagles, the Yellowjackets fell 3-0.
The 2023 UMAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year will be back for UW-Superior as libero Jenna Anderson returns for her senior year after recording 573 digs, 5.67 digs per set, and 12 aces last fall. Honorable Mention All-UMAC outside hitter Maiana Stark enters her senior season as well after recording 256 kills on 2.61 kills per set with 3.27 digs per set in 2023. Colleen Claude, a 2023 CSC Academic All-District winner, is back after recording 554 assists, 5.54 assists per set, and 2.74 digs per set last year.
#4: Bethany Lutheran Vikings (30 Points)
The Bethany Lutheran College Vikings placed fourth in the preseason poll with 30 points. Last year, BLC tied for fifth in the UMAC with a 5-9 conference record, going 8-18 overall.
Lexiss Trygg is back for her senior season, following a 2023 campaign in which she earned All-Conference honors with 250 kills, 79 blocks and 157 digs. Paloma Garcia de Fuentes returns for her senior season too after recording 696 assists, 231 digs, and 31 kills last fall. Riley Sammon is back for her junior year after recording 125 kills, 47 blocks, and 32 digs as a sophomore.
#5: Martin Luther Knights (25 Points)
The Martin Luther College Knights finished fifth in the preseason poll with 25 points. MLC placed fourth in the 2023 regular season with a 6-8 UMAC record and an 8-19 overall record.
The Knights were the No. 4 seed in the 2023 UMAC Tournament. MLC fell 3-0 in the tournament semifinals to the eventual-champion Northwestern Eagles.
Grace Kieselhorst returns to the Knights for her senior season after earning Second Team All-UMAC last fall with 226 kills, 301 assists, and 199 digs. Outside hitter Lauren Paulsen enters her senior season as well after recording 192 kills, 44 blocks, and 288 digs as a junior. Ella Walz will enter her sophomore season looking to build on a freshman campaign in which she totaled 431 assists and 181 digs.
#6: North Central Rams (19 Points)
The North Central University Rams ranked sixth in the preseason poll with 19 points. NCU placed seventh in the conference last year, going 14-14 overall with a 4-10 conference record.
2023 UMAC Rookie of the Year Sydney Carlson returns to the Rams after averaging 3.33 kills per set, 2.79 kills per set, and .39 blocks per set as a freshman. Hailey Lerfald returns to NCU for her senior season after recording 2.56 kills per set on a .292 hitting percentage and totaling .78 blocks per set in 2023.
#7: Crown Polars (13 Points)
The Crown College Polars finished seventh in the preseason poll with 13 points. Crown went 2-27 overall with an 0-14 conference record in 2023.
Libero and defensive specialist Sage Johnson is back for her senior season at Crown. Alyssa Heagney and Sydney Cotton both return as well for their sophomore campaigns.
#8: Northland Lumberjills (9 Points)
The Northland College Lumberjills round out the preseason poll with nine points. Northland finished fifth in the conference last year with a 9-15 overall record and a 5-9 mark in the UMAC.
Britta Josephson returns for the Lumberjills to follow up her 2023 season in which she recorded 201 kills with 2.39 kills per set on a .168 hitting percentage. Kodie Rempp is back for her senior season after recording 161 assists and 129 digs last fall.
2024 UMAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
- Northwestern | 49 (7)
- Minnesota Morris | 40 (1)
- UW-Superior | 39
- Bethany Lutheran | 30
- Martin Luther | 25
- North Central | 19
- Crown | 13
- Northland | 9
The 2024 volleyball regular season opens on Friday, August 30. The top four teams in the standings at the close of the regular season will compete in the UMAC Tournament, with the semifinals scheduled for Wednesday, November 13 and the championship match slated for Saturday, November 16. The tournament champion will receive the UMAC’s automatic qualifying bid to the 2024 NCAA DIII Volleyball Championship.