Volleyball Earns Preseason Accolades in National and Conference Polls

Emily Bell goes for a kill during the 2005 NCAA Division III Tournament in Salem, Va.

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg University volleyball team, coming off the best NCAA Division III Tournament finish in school history, is once again getting plenty of preseason respect. The Tigers will open the season ranked No. 2 in the CSTV/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) NCAA Division III Coaches Preseason Poll (Read More ...) and No. 1 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Preseason Coaches Poll (Read More ...).

The Tigers, who posted a 34-5 overall record and made the national semifinals in 2005, have a 2006 regular season schedule sure to test their mettle and hopefully prepare them for another national title run. The season opens Friday, Sept. 1 at the ASICS Invitational, hosted by preseason No. 1 and 2004 national champion Juniata, the team that rallied for an improbable NCAA Division III Tournament semifinals win over Wittenberg a year ago.

In addition, the Tigers are slated to play in a tournament hosted by preseason No. 5 Washington University, the 2004 national runner-up, and they will also play host to three weekend competitions. Among the top-quality squads scheduled to play Wittenberg on its home court are preseason No. 4 Emory, a national quarterfinalist a year ago, 2005 Ohio Athletic Conference regular season champion Capital and 2005 NCAA Division III Tournament regional finalist Calvin.

Last year, Wittenberg won the NCAC tournament championship for a ninth straight year and advanced to the national tourney for the 11th time in the last 12 seasons. Five starters and a total of 10 letterwinners are back in the fold in 2006, led by junior outside hitters Jan Kehres (Alliance, Ohio/Alliance) and Emily Bell (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran), a pair of dynamic all-around players who ranked among the team leaders in kills and digs in 2005.

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