Willamette Volleyball Fourth in NWC Preseason Poll
SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University volleyball team has been predicted to fourth in the Northwest Conference this season according to the 2014 NWC Volleyball Preseason Poll as voted on by the league's head coaches. Pacific Lutheran University, which has won the past two NWC titles, was selected to repeat as champion.
Bearcats Return to Action after Strong Finish in 2013
SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University volleyball team has been predicted to fourth in the Northwest Conference this season according to the 2014 NWC Volleyball Preseason Poll as voted on by the league's head coaches. Pacific Lutheran University, which has won the past two NWC titles, was selected to repeat as champion.
Pacific Lutheran won the 2013 title with a 15-1 NWC record and a 19-6 overall mark. The Lutes are ranked #21 in the NCAA Division III Preseason Poll released by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). PLU lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last fall.
The Lutes received seven of nine first place votes in the NWC Preseason Poll and a total of 70 points. University of Puget Sound (17-8, 12-4 NWC in 2013) took one of the remaining first place votes and earned 53 points for second place.
Whitworth University (15-13, 9-7 NWC) and Willamette (12-13, 8-8 NWC) were in a close battle for third place in the poll. Whitworth held third place on the strength of the final first place vote and 43 points. The Bearcats, who won six of their final seven matches last season to take fourth place in the conference, were fourth in this year's Preseason Poll with 42 points.
George Fox University (12-12, 7-9) held fifth place in the poll with 34 points. Pacific University (8-15, 7-9 NWC) was sixth with 32 points. Lewis & Clark College (6-16, 5-11 NWC) and Whitman College (7-22, 5-11 NWC) tied for seventh place with 21 points. Linfield College (8-15, 4-12) rounded out the poll in ninth with 13 points.
Willamette Head Coach Tom Shoji, in his seventh year, will feature a team led by junior outside hitter Sarah Fincher (Reno, NV/Bishop Manogue HS/Southwest Baptist Univ.). Last year, Fincher was named First Team All-NWC after averaging 3.44 kills and 2.35 digs per set. She achieved a .217 hitting percentage and recorded 29 total blocks.
Fincher led the Bearcats with 932 total attacks and started all 25 matches. She helped WU averaged 11.7 kill per set with a .193 team hitting percentage.
Lindsey Compton (Jr., OH/S, Portola, CA/Portola HS/Univ. of Hartford) also returns for the Bearcats. She played in 24 matches with 22 starts, and achieved 2.00 kills per set. Compton also supplied 2.77 digs per set.
Fincher and Compton are the team's only returning starters. Even so, the Bearcats have 10 returning players overall, including four sophomores who played in at least 13 matches in 2013.
The Bearcats are preparing to open the season this weekend with four games at the Texas Lutheran Bulldog Classic in Seguin, Texas. Willamette will take on Fairleigh Dickinson University (N.J.) on Friday, Aug. 29 at 10 a.m. (CST) and will face the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh at 12 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday, Aug. 30, the Bearcats will play Concordia University (Texas) at 10 a.m., before taking on Schreiner University (Texas) at 2 p.m.
2014 NWC Volleyball Preseason Poll (1st place votes in parentheses)
1. Pacific Lutheran (7), 70 points, 19-6 overall, 15-1 NWC in 2013
2. Puget Sound (1), 53 points, 17-8, 12-4 NWC
3. Whitworth (1), 43 points, 15-13, 9-7 NWC
4. Willamette, 42 points, 12-13, 8-8 NWC
5. George Fox, 34 points, 12-12, 7-9 NWC
6. Pacific, 32 points, 8-15, 7-9 NWC
7. Lewis & Clark, 21 points, 6-16, 5-11 NWC
7. Whitman, 21 points, 7-22, 5-11 NWC
8. Linfield, 13 points, 8-15, 4-12 NWC
Note: Points were awarded on a 9-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Each coach was not allowed to vote for his/her own team.
Sarah Fincher led Willamette with 334 kills last season. She also earned 228 digs for the Bearcats and was named First Team All-NWC.