MOORHEAD, Minn. (8/29/11)– Not much has changed for the Concordia volleyball team since they last left the court in the NCAA Tournament in November. The Cobbers return all six starting players and have everyone back from a team that went 24-7 on the year and was within one game of the MIAC regular season championship.

The two biggest reasons that head coach Tim Mosser has been looking forward to this season come in the forms of returning All-Americans Jenna Green (Sr., Dilworth, Minn./D-G-F HS) and Katie Vohnoutka (Sr., Eden Prairie, Minn.). Both players have been in the CC starting lineup for three years and both have been handfuls for any opposing defense to try and stop. Green led the team in kills in 2010 and was seventh in MIAC in both kills and digs. Vohnoutka was second on the team in overall kills but led the team in kills and blocks in conference play. She finished the year second in the MIAC in blocks and third in kills in league play. Green has 949 kills and 1034 digs in her three-year career and will likely become only the second player in the history of the program to surpass the 1000 kill, 1000 dig mark. Vohnoutka has 914 career kills and should become the 11th member of the 1,000-kill club in school history.

While Green and Vohnoutka will draw the most attention from opposing team’s defense, the Cobbers have several other front line players that can carry the team for an entire match. Senior Ashley Beseman (Raymond, Minn./MACCRAY HS) and sophomores Allison Bruggeman (Moorhead, Minn.) and Brooke Tastad (Montevideo, Minn.) all had over 100 kills on the year. All three players also showed the versatility that green and Vohnoutka bring to the team. Beseman was second on the team in blocks in 2010 while Bruggeman was third on the team in blocks and fourth in digs.

The Cobbers will also return their offensive quarterback and defensive specialist. Three-year starter Amy Sykora (Rapid City, S.D./Stevens HS) has posted 700-assist seasons the past two years and has 2,075 helpers in her career. She is third on the school’s all-time assist list and should jump into the second spot during the season. Sophomore Rachel Wiinanen (Maple Grove, Minn.) stepped into the libero role last year and had over 325 digs in her first season.

Mosser has also started the task of restocking the cupboards for next year as he brought in five freshmen that will all learn from their experience of playing with a group that has remain intact for two straight years.

Concordia will start the season with another target on its back. The Cobbers are one of only two teams in the MIAC to be ranked in the top 15 in the AVCA preseason poll. CC will have plenty of opportunity to show they belong among the nation’s elite. Concordia will travel to four top-tier tournaments during the regular season and will face four teams ranked in the top of the 13 of the nation. The pinnacle of tough competition will come at the Colorado College Invitational where they will face two-time national champion Juniata (Pa.) as well as Washington University (Mo.) who is ranked third in the preseason poll and advanced to last year’s NCAA semifinals as well as host Colorado College who starts the season ranked No.13.

If Concordia can be successful during their tough non-conference schedule then by the end of October they should be able to set their sights on a MIAC championship and a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

Complete 2011 MIAC Volleyball Season Preview

2011 MIAC Coaches’ Preseason Poll
1. Concordia (8) – 117
2. St. Thomas (3) – 106
3. St. Olaf (1) – 94
4. Saint Benedict – 92
5. Saint Mary’s – 81
6. Bethel – 75
7. St. Catherine – 49
8. Augsburg – 45
9. Carleton – 42
10. Gustavus – 37
11. Hamline – 33
12. Macalester – 15

When it comes to national rankings the Cobber volleyball team will start the 2011 season where they left off in 2010. Concordia is ranked 14th in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) preseason poll it was announced on Thursday.

The volleyball team is the second Cobber fall team to start the year ranked in the top 25 of the nation. The Concordia women’s soccer team is ranked 25th in the NSCAA preseason poll.

After making the NCAA playoffs for the seventh time in the last eight years, Concordia finished the year by being ranked 20th in the final AVCA national poll. It was the seventh time in the past eight years that CC has been ranked in the top 25 of the nation at the end of the year. During that time the Cobbers have spent a remarkable 75 weeks ranked in the top 25 of Division III.

The Cobbers went 24-7 in 2010 and had a mark of 9-2 in conference play. The 24 overall wins marked the seventh time in the past nine seasons that CC has won at least 20 matches in a single season. Concordia finished in third place in the MIAC and was only a single game out of first place.

Concordia will be led by returning All-Americans Jenna Green and Katie Vohnoutka in 2011. Green is a two-time All-American who led the team in kills in 2010. She had 391 on the year which is the most by any Cobber player in a single season since 2006. She had double-digit kill totals in all but five matches and finished the year with at least 10 winners in the last 12 matches of the year. Vohnoutka was second on the team in kills has posted 686 winners in the past two seasons. Vohnoutka led the team in blocks and service aces during the season. She had 107 total blocks which is the most by a player since the 2007 season.

Concordia will open their season on Friday, Sept. 2 when they compete in the UW-Eau Claire Classic. The Cobbers will also play non-conference tournament at Wartburg College (Iowa) and Colorado College. CC will begin their quest for the MIAC regular-season title when they host Hamline on Sept. 13 at 5 p.m.

Complete AVCA Preseason National Rankings