MIAC coaches tab Concordia as team to beat

Concordia-Moorhead received eight of 12 first-place votes and finished atop the MIAC preseason coaches’ poll. St. Thomas, the 2010 regular season co-champion, got three top votes and claimed second in the poll. St. Olaf, last year’s regular season co-champ and MIAC Playoff winner, was first on one ballot and placed third in the poll. In order, Saint Benedict, Saint Mary’s and Bethel rounded out the top six.

I also have Concordia as the top team, and I’m curious to see how St. Thomas and St. Olaf reloaded in the off season. St. Thomas loses seven seniors from the program’s first national finals team of a year ago. Gone are setter Emily Foster, the two-time MIAC Player of the Year and four-time all-MIAC performer; two-time all-MIAC middle Jill Osborne; and three other hitters on the 2010 all-MIAC squad. St. Olaf loses three-time all-MIAC setter Kelly Prunty and three-time all-MIAC outside Kim Smisek but returns the rest of its roster.

It’s been a while since the MIAC had a clear-cut favorite in my mind. In recent years cases could be made for a few teams in the preseason coaches’ poll. Partly due to circumstance and much to do with talent, I think Concordia is easily the team to beat this season. Concordia is currently just outside my preseason Top 10, but with nonconference matches against Juniata, Washington and Colorado, that could change rather quickly. Besides Concordia, I have a wait-and-see approach to the other MIAC teams in terms of national ranking. Another team or two will step up, but for now I only have Concordia in my top 30 teams.

The Cobbers returns its starting lineup from a team that finished one win from the MIAC regular season title. Leading the way for Concordia will be two senior two-time all-MIAC selections: outside Jenna Green and middle Katie Vohnoutka.

Saint Benedict will be a wild card with a young team in its second year under head coach Nicole Bess. Sophomore setter Kathryn Gaydos is the sole all-MIAC performer to return for the Blazers. Saint Mary’s loses three-time all-MIAC outside Jessica Mate, two-time All-America right-side Sarah Gardner, its longtime starting setter and four other seniors, leaving senior middle Amy Kujak as the only returning all-MIAC player for the Cardinals. Bethel returns a veteran team highlighted by two-time all-MIAC outside Nicole Wriedt.

St. Thomas, St. Olaf and Concordia were 2010 NCAA Tournament participants. St. Thomas hosted a regional and swept Puget Sound, UW-Eau Claire and St. Olaf on its way to its first regional title. The Tommies were swept by Juniata in the opening round of the NCAA final tournament. St. Olaf beat Northwestern (Minn.), 3-2, and swept Whitworth before being swept by host St. Thomas in the regional final. Concordia was swept by Whitworth in the opening round of the St. Thomas Regional.

-Ricky Nelson