Defiance Volleyball Picked to Finish Fifth in Preseason Poll
GREENWOOD, IND. - The Defiance College volleyball team was picked to finish fifth in the preseason Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference coaches' poll.
RICHMOND, IND. - The Defiance College volleyball team was picked to finish fifth in the preseason Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference coaches' poll announced Friday.
Defiance is coming off of a 2017 season that saw them finish 10-13 overall and 5-4 in the HCAC. The 5-4 HCAC record saw the Yellow Jackets finish fifth in regular season conference standings. The fifth place finish provided Defiance a berth into the HCAC tournament, where the Yellow Jackets dropped a three-setter to Bluffton University.
The Yellow Jackets return with seventh year head coach Brie Brenner at the helm, and Alicia Kalik entering her second year as full-time assistant. Defiance returns five team members that played in all twenty-three matches for the Yellow Jackets last season including seniors Marissa Windau and Brooke Plummer.
Windau led the team last season in kills with 155, averaging 2.12 kills per set. The senior tallied 15 total blocks with 10 assists and 198 digs.
Plummer finished the 2017 season ranked third in blocks with 30 and recorded 107 kills.
The Purple and Gold open the 2018 season on friday, Aug. 31 with the Ohio Northern Tournament.
2018 HCAC VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON POLL
| Finish | Team | Votes | 2017 Record |
| 1 | Hanover | 91 (3) | 26-6 (9-0) |
| 2 | Transylvania | 90 (4) | 20-10 (7-2) |
| 3 | Bluffton | 79 (1) | 19-11 (7-2) |
| 4 | Rose-Hulman | 76 (2) | 20-12 (7-2) |
| 5 | Defiance | 56 | 10-13 (5-4) |
| 6 | Earlham | 48 | 15-13 (3-6) |
| 7 | Mount St. Joseph | 41 | 13-14 (3-6) |
| 8 | Manchester | 30 | 11-12 (2-7) |
| 9 | Franklin | 25 | 11-14 (1-8) |
| 10 | Anderson | 14 | 10-20 (1-8) |