NEW MEXICO STATE FAVORED IN WAC PRESEASON POLL
The WAC coaches selected New Mexico State as the team to beat in 2014. The Aggies received six first-place votes, while Seattle U received the other two. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
The Aggies earned 48 total points, followed by Seattle U with 43. Utah Valley was picked to finish third with 35 points, followed by Missouri-Kansas City in fourth with 27 points, just ahead of Bakersfield in fifth with 26 and Grand Canyon in sixth with 22 points. Texas-Pan American and Chicago State rounded out the poll with 16 and seven points, respectively.
PRESEASON ALL-WAC
Utah Valley junior middle blocker Lauren Bakker, who last year ranked second in the league in blocks per set (1.31) and ninth in hitting percentage (.272), was selected as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year.
New Mexico State and Utah Valley placed the most players on the preseason All-WAC team with three apiece, while Seattle U, UMKC and Grand Canyon had two each. Joining Bakker on the preseason team are teammates Kalani Norris and McKenna Tait, New Mexico State’s Taylor Livoti, Gwen Murphy and Bradley Nash, Seattle U’s Iris Ivanis and Martina Samadan, UMKC’s Sydney Crimmins and Emma Hagedorn, Grand Canyon’s Shannon Dugan and Mackenzie Phelps, Bakersfield’s Molly O’Hagan, and Haley Durham of UTPA.
2014 WAC TOURNAMENT
The 2014 WAC Volleyball Tournament will be held Nov. 20-22 at the Icardo Center in Bakersfield, Calif., and will include the top six eligible teams in the regular-season standings.
WAC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, Nov. 20 (First Round)
Match 1 - No. 6 seed vs. No. 3 seed, 5 p.m.
Match 2 - No. 5 seed vs. No. 4 seed, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 21 (Semifinals)
Match 3 - Winner Match 1 vs. No. 2 seed, 5 p.m.
Match 4 - Winner Match 2 vs. No. 1 seed, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 22 (Championship)
Match 5 - Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4, 5 p.m.
TOP STAT LEADERS
The following are the returning statistical leaders from the 2013 season. In hitting efficiency, five of the top 10 hitters are back, led by Seattle U’s Martina Samadan (.416), who led the league a year ago. Bakersfield’s Molly O’Hagan (.327), who ranked fourth last year, also returns. The remaining leaders are New Mexico State’s Gwen Murphy (.283, sixth), Texas-Pan American’s Maria Kliefoth (.275, eighth) and Utah Valley’s Lauren Bakker (.272, ninth).
Seven of the top 10 kill leaders return, led by Samadan, who was third with 3.24 kills per set. Teammate Iris Ivanis and Bakersfield’s Kelsee Sawyer were fifth, averaging 2.95 kills. O’Hagan ranked seventh last year with 2.92, followed by Utah Valley’s Kalani Norris in eighth with a 2.78 average. Grand Canyon’s Shannon Dugan was ninth, averaging 2.66, while Missouri-Kansas City’s Sydney Crimmins rounds out the returning leaders in 10th place with 2.62.
Three of the top assist leaders from last season return for the 2014 campaign. Seattle U’s Kerry Lane is the top setter to return, finishing last season ranked fourth in the WAC with 9.36 assists per set. The remaining leaders are UMKC’s Kaylyn Brandt (5.58, ninth) and New Mexico State’s Taylor Livoti (5.21, 10th).
Seven of the top 10 servers return, including the top two, led by Utah Valley’s McKenna Tait in first place with 0.45 per set. Samadan was second with 0.35, while Chicago State’s Julia Menhart was fourth (0.30). UTPA’s Krysta Freitas was fifth (0.29), followed by Chicago State’s Mia Townsell (0.27, seventh). Rounding out the group are Sawyer (0.26, eighth) and Ivanis (0.26, ninth).
Five of the top blockers return, led by Bakker, who was second with 1.31 blocks per set and UMKC’s Emma Hagedorn, who was third (1.31). The remaining block returners are Murphy (1.02, sixth), UMKC’s Melissa Hartsel (1.01, seventh) and Samadan (1.00, eighth).
Seven of the 10 dig leaders return for the 2014 season, led by Grand Canyon’s Mackenzie Phelps in first place with 5.65 digs per set. Bakersfield’s Mariah Alvidrez was second (4.99), followed by UMKC’s Taryn Miller (4.88, third) and Tait (4.23, fourth). Rounding out the group are UTPA’s Nausheen Merchant (3.23, eighth), Menhart (3.16, ninth) and UTPA’s Shanice Faison (2.96, 10th).
RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE PLAYERS
Of the seven first team All-WAC players in 2013, three return for the 2014 season, led by Preseason Player of the Year Lauren Bakker of Utah Valley. Also returning from the first team are Gwen Murphy of New Mexico State and McKenna Tait of Utah Valley.
Five of the seven second team honorees return, including Sydney Crimmins and Taryn Miller of UMKC, Iris Ivanis and Martina Samadan of Seattle U, and Bakersfield’s Molly O’Hagan.
Of the six All-Freshman Team honorees a year ago, five return – Ivanis and Kerry Lane of Seattle U, Kaylyn Brandt of UMKC, Alisha Watson of UTPA and Nakisha Willden of Utah Valley.