GREENVILLE, Ill. -- If the 2016 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Volleyball Preseason Poll is any indication there is a battle expected at the top of the conference this year; with Greenville College edging out Westminster College for top preseason honors.
Greenville is coming off a 24-8 season last year that saw them capture the program's second ever SLIAC Tournament title.
Greenville received 76 total points in the poll, capturing six first-place votes.
The Panthers bring back 15 players and 4 starters from last year's squad that finished 17-1 in conference play.
Head Coach Tom Ackerman will count on junior outside hitter Allyson Mitchell to lead the high-powered Panther attack. Mitchell earned First Team All-Conference honors last year after putting down 372 kills while also adding 243 digs on the defensive side.
Savannah Sells, a senior, provides the second option in the attack after registering 262 kills.
Sierah Ruffner, a senior middle hitter, hit .286 and teamed with Sells last year to record a combined 170 blocks.
Senior setter Kirsten Laune, who recorded 951 assists in 2015, will again run the offense.
The Panthers will need to replace the two-time reigning SLIAC Defensive Player of the Year, Jamie Schollenbruch, as well as outside Hannah Baker.
Two newcomers to the team in freshmen Allyson Grabowski, a libero, and Cheyenne Vaca, an outside hitter, just may be the players to fill that void.