Beloit only topped St. Norbert by one point while St. Norbert was a clear cut favorite to finish second in the league. Both Grinnell and Lake Forest finished in a third place tie for what would be the final two spots in the MWC Tournament. Thirteen votes only separated Monmonth, the fifth place team, and Carroll, the seventh place team, with Ripon sandwiched in between. Illinois College and Lawrence drew a tie for eighth place with Knox rounding out the poll.

 

The conference will have some fresh blood as two schools have changed coaches in the past year. Ripon will have their fourth new coach in four years as Katie Carrier takes over the head coaching duties, while Becca Saal, who coached for Ripon in 2009, will take the head position at Carroll University, replacing Annie Glieber, a two-time MWC Coach of the Year.

 

2009 MWC Coach of the Year Jackie Hutchison returns to Grinnell as the head coach after serving as the interim head coach last season. Hutchison will also return MWC Player of the Year Claire Reeder to the Pioneers’ program. Along with Reeder 13 other All-MWC First or Second Team selections will return to the court in 2010.

 

 

 

1. Beloit (6 first place votes)

2. St. Norbert (4)

t3. Grinnell

t3. Lake Forest

5. Monmouth

6. Ripon

7. Carroll

t8. Illinois College

t8. Lawrence

10. Knox

 

1. Beloit Buccaneers

2009 Record: 24-6, 8-1

Returning All-MWC First Team: 2

Returning All-MWC Second Team: 2

 

Despite falling to champion St. Norbert in the MWC tournament last season the Buccaneers look primed to overthrow the two time champs in 2010. Beloit coach Dawn Redd will embark on her fourth season and returns two All-MWC first team selections from a year ago in junior middle Laura Toth and senior outside hitter Mary Parker. Toth led all MWC players with a .311 hitting percentage and finished the season seventh with 2.81 kills per game. Parker, not to be outdone, finished fifth in the conference with 2.94 kills per game and also had a team-high 577 digs, good for third in the MWC. Redd also brings back two All-MWC second team selections with seniors Caitlyn O’Leary and Tess Jacquez. O’Leary, a setter, led all players with 1,004 assists and 9.30 per game. Jacquez returns 284 kills and 396 digs for a very deep Buccaneers team. 

 

2. St. Norbert Green Knights

2009 Record: 24-10, 9-0

Returning All-MWC First Team: 0

Returning All-MWC Second Team: 1

 

The Green Knights capped off a 24-win 2009 season with their second straight MWC Tournament title as well as their 11^th regular season championship. Head coach Bethani Thibodeau returns All-MWC Second Team selection Sarah Sulentic who finished last season third in the MWC with a .292 hitting percentage, while also having 251 kills and 98 blocks. Sophomore middle Danielle Remy returns alongside Sulentic as one of the best blocking duos in the conference after accumulating 105 blocks in her rookie campaign. Sophomore Catherine Guido also returns after posting 541 digs and averaging 4.51 digs per set, good for eighth in the conference.

 

t3. Grinnell Pioneers

2009 Record: 14-19, 5-4

Returning All-MWC First Team: 1

Returning All-MWC Second Team: 1

 

Fresh off winning MWC Coach of the Year honors in 2009, Jackie Hutchison looks to lead the Pioneers to greener pastures in 2010 and claim their first ever MWC championship. The Pioneers return All-MWC first team selection Claire Reeder after she finished fourth in the conference in hitting percentage (.276), second in kills (425) and kills per game (3.60). Junior setter Olivia Wilks earned Second Team All-MWC honors and ranked third in the conference with 8.95 assists per game and was also one of only two players in the conference to have more than 1,000 assists (1,002). Sophomore Michelle Briggs averaged 0.94 blocks per set and junior Bonnie Kircher averaged 2.15 kills per set with 222 kills.

 

 

t3. Lake Forest Foresters

2009 Record: 9-18, 5-4

Returning All-MWC First Team: 0

Returning All-MWC Second Team: 2

 

After barely missing the MWC Tournament in 2009, third-year head coach Jennifer Saylor looks to lead the Foresters back into post season play and their first MWC title since 2003. Saylor welcomes back talented outside hitter Cori Cooper and middle Mandi Mulliner. Mulliner finished fifth in the league in hitting percentage (.257), while also registering 251 kills. Cooper ranked sixth in the MWC with 300 kills and finished second on the team with 314 digs. Deena Blanchard returns for her senior season after ranking fourth in the MWC with 777 assists last season. Molly McCloskey brings back 175 kills from a season ago to solidify a deep Forester team looking to make a move in the conference.

 

5. Monmouth Fighting Scots

2009 Record: 13-17, 4-5

Returning All-MWC First Team: 1

Returning All-MWC Second Team: 0

 

Kari Shimmin enters her 13th season for the Fighting Scots who are looking for their first MWC championship since 1982. Monmouth will be led by a young group of offensive players led by sophomore Chelsey Widdop and juniors Megan Creen and Kendra Newlon. Widdop capped of a successful freshman year by leading the team with 272 kills and finishing second with 448 digs, while Creen and Newlon finished with 238 and 181 kills, respectively. Alyson Schroeter will return to the team after an injury sidelined her for the 2009 season a year removed from collecting 233 kills and 159 digs in 2008. Senior Laura Anton could take over for Alexis Keller after Anton registered 200 assists and 72 digs.

 

6. Ripon Red Hawks

2009 Record: 11-19, 5-4

Returning All-MWC First Team: 0

Returning All-MWC Second Team: 1

 

The Red Hawks enter the 2010 season looking to continue their regular-season success in the Midwest Conference. Ripon has qualified for the four team MWC Tournament in seven of the last eight years and will be led this year by first year head coach Katie Carrier. Seniors Anna Alvin and Alison Ernst return for their final season with the Red Hawks as Alvin led Ripon in kills last season with 382, while also hitting .212. Ernst returns 764 assists from a year ago and ranks sixth in career assists in the schools record book. Carrier will need to find a replacement for Sara Heim who graduated after setting the school record for career digs and led the team with 660 digs last season. Sophomore Lisa Aguilar will look to fill the void left by Heim after averaging 2.96 digs per game last season while also contributing 273 kills.

 

7. Carroll Pioneers

2009 Record: 14-17, 3-6

Returning All-MWC First Team: 1

Returning All-MWC Second Team: 0

 

Becca Saal takes over for her first year at the helm of the Pioneers after a 2009 season that saw Carroll drop eight of their last 11 contests. Saal welcomes back All-MWC First Team selection Michele Leonard for her senior season. Last season Leonard finished second on the team with 197 kills and a .246 hitting percentage while also leading the team with 106 blocks (33 solo). Sophomore setter Samantha Deryna returns after dishing out 601 assists last season and sophomores Megan Falk (4.93 dpg) and Heather Kulibert (4.64 dpg) both return after finishing fifth and seventh, respectively, in the conference in digs per game last year.

 

t8. Illinois College Lady Blues

2009 Record: 9-18, 3-6

Returning All-MWC First Team: 0

Returning All-MWC Second Team: 0

 

After a fifth place finish in 2008 which saw the Lady Blues miss the MWC tournament by only a game, the Illinois College volleyball team took a step back in 2009 and finished eighth place, gaining only three conference victories. Led by returning senior outside hitter Courtney Sweatman the blue and white look to get back to the post season. Sweatman finished with a team-high 215 kills last season along with 321 digs. Senior setter Courtney O’Conner returns after 388 assists and 172 digs along with senior Kelly Van Gennip who contributed 190 assists in 2009.

 

t8. Lawrence Vikings

2009 Record: 14-18, 3-6

Returning All-MWC First Team: 0

Returning All-MWC Second Team: 1

 

Lawrence will look to bounce back after a bitter end to the 2009 season that saw the Vikings drop nine of their last 10 contests after starting out the season 13-8. Senior outside hitter Melissa Schnettler returns after collecting 337 kills last season, fourth most in the MWC. Schnettler, an All-MWC Second Team selection last season, also finished second on the Vikings with 287 digs. Junior defensive specialist Samantha Nimmer returns a team-high 340 digs as she is one of five Vikings to collect 200+ digs last season. Senior Farrell Tremble is the main candidate to take over the setting duties from departed senior Laura Aerts after collecting 174 assists in 21 matches. Junior Clare Bohrer will look to solidify the Vikings attack after collecting 228 kills and 85 blocks in 2009.

 

10. Knox Prairie Fire

2009 Record: 4-25, 0-9

Returning All-MWC First Team: 1

Returning All-MWC Second Team: 0

 

Kim Schrader returns to Knox after a tough season in 2009 as the Prairie Fire did not register a win a conference game, and only has two conference wins in the last three seasons. Knox will look to improve as they return 2009 All-MWC first team selection in sophomore Kelly Rickets. Rickets led the Prairie Fire with 449 kills last season and a .236 hitting percentage. Rickets’ 449 kills ranked her first in the MWC and her 4.36 kills per game was also tops in the conference by a wide margin. Karen Frost’s graduation leaves Knox without 700 assists from last season, a spot that will be filled by freshman Nina Mack. Sophomore outside hitter Brittany Wisniewski also returns with a team-high 34 service aces and junior defensive specialist Lisa Blagg returns a team-high 304 digs, good for 2.95 per game.