FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 5, 2009

Lions picked to finish eighth in MIAA preseason coaches poll

Kansas City, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern volleyball team has been picked to finish eighth in the MIAA preseason coaches poll as announced by the league office today.

Southern returns six starters from a season ago that saw a young Lions squad go 10-22 and finish eighth in the MIAA with a 5-15 league mark.

Back for the Lions are All-MIAA selections in senior libero Kari Hammerbacher and junior hitter Ashlee Russell. Both were an honorable mention pick last year. Southern also returns senior hitter Stefanie Williams, as well as juniors Amelia Judge, Brittany Vavao-Huggins and Jeanna Feldman to the lineup. Judge and Vavao-Huggins are will play the middle for the Lions, while Feldman patrols the outside.

Sophomore setter Elin Skei split time with Sarah Joles last season and will enter the season as the starting setter for the Lions. Junior Cassie Prewitt and sophomore Maria Weller also return, as well as resdhirt freshman Amber Heiskel. The Lions bring in three freshmen and one junior college transfer.

In a league that sent six teams to an eight-team NCAA Regional a season ago, being picked eighth in what could arguably be labeled the best volleyball conference in Division II is no slouch. Last season, the MIAA put six teams in the South Central Region Tournament while the other two leagues that make up the region (Lone Star and Heartland) just placed their automatic qualifiers.

Emporia State was a narrow pick to win the league this year, sharing the same number of first place votes as second place Washburn (5) but edged the Lady Blues by two overall votes. Central Missouri was third, followed by a tie for fourth with Nebraska-Omaha and Truman. UNO picked up the other first place vote. Pittsburg State was sixth, followed by Northwest Missouri, Southern, Southwest Baptist, Fort Hays and Missouri Western to round out the 11-school poll.

The Lions open up the 2009 campaign with their annual Missouri Southern Invitational to be played on August 28-29 in both Young Gymnasium and the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. The Lions open up on day one of the tourney with Midwestern State at 4 pm and Missouri S&T at 7 pm. On day two, Southern finishes off the tournament with Southeastern Oklahoma State at 10 am and Harding at 4 pm. Each of the Lions' matches will be played in Leggett & Platt.