NDSU Volleyball Tabbed Second in Summit League Preseason Coaches’ Poll
8/23/2023 10:39:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The North Dakota State volleyball team has been picked second in the Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll, while senior outside hitter Ali Hinze and senior setter Kelley Johnson were named Players to Watch, the league office announced on Wednesday.
The Bison earned their highest Summit League Preseason Poll ranking since 2016 after garnering 54 total points and two first place votes. South Dakota earned the top spot with 61 points and six first place votes, while Omaha closed out the top three with 53 points and one first place vote.
Johnson, who was named the Summit League Setter of the Year last season, paced the Summit League and ranked eighth in the nation with a career-best 1,342 assists. The Eagan, Minn., native averaged 10.57 assists per set and recorded double figures in assists in all 33 matches.
Hinze picked up All-Summit League First Team honors last season after powering the Bison with a career-best 446 kills. The Maple Grove, Minn., native averaged a team-high 3.63 kills per set, which ranked fifth in the Summit League. She also added in a career-high 350 digs on the defensive end of the floor.
The Bison finished last season reaching the 20-win mark for only the fifth time in the Division I era with a 21-12 (13-5 Summit) overall record before advancing to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC). NDSU will open the 2023 season against UC-Riverside in Moscow, Idaho on Friday at 8 p.m. CT
The full Summit League release can be viewed here.
2023 Summit League Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll
The Bison earned their highest Summit League Preseason Poll ranking since 2016 after garnering 54 total points and two first place votes. South Dakota earned the top spot with 61 points and six first place votes, while Omaha closed out the top three with 53 points and one first place vote.
Johnson, who was named the Summit League Setter of the Year last season, paced the Summit League and ranked eighth in the nation with a career-best 1,342 assists. The Eagan, Minn., native averaged 10.57 assists per set and recorded double figures in assists in all 33 matches.
Hinze picked up All-Summit League First Team honors last season after powering the Bison with a career-best 446 kills. The Maple Grove, Minn., native averaged a team-high 3.63 kills per set, which ranked fifth in the Summit League. She also added in a career-high 350 digs on the defensive end of the floor.
The Bison finished last season reaching the 20-win mark for only the fifth time in the Division I era with a 21-12 (13-5 Summit) overall record before advancing to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC). NDSU will open the 2023 season against UC-Riverside in Moscow, Idaho on Friday at 8 p.m. CT
The full Summit League release can be viewed here.
2023 Summit League Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Rank | School | Points (1st) | 2022 Record (SL) |
| 1. | South Dakota | 61 (6) | 29-4 (16-2) |
| 2. | North Dakota State | 54 (2) | 21-12 (13-5) |
| 3. | Omaha | 53 (1) | 20-11 (14-4) |
| 4. | South Dakota State | 39 | 18-15 (11-7) |
| 5. | North Dakota | 34 | 12-18 (9-9) |
| 6. | Denver | 30 | 19-12 (12-6) |
| 7. | Kansas City | 25 | 10-21 (7-11) |
| 8. | St. Thomas | 16 | 4-26 (2-16) |
| 9. | Oral Roberts | 12 | 9-21 (6-12) |
Players Mentioned
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