UMAC: St. Scholastica merely a slight favorite

UMAC coaches like the the Saints, but the preseason nod was far from resounding. St. Scholastica, the 2010 UMAC undefeated regular season champion, received five of the eight first-place votes but won the poll by just three points over Minnesota Morris, which nabbed one first-place vote. Last season’s UMAC Tournament champion and perennial contender, Northwestern, got one first-place vote and finished third in the poll. Martin Luther accounted for the remaining top vote and placed fourth in the coaches’ poll.

I’m not entirely sure how or why the voting was so close. I think St. Scholastica is not only the best UMAC team but a Top 25 candidate. It’s a program on the rise, but I’m sure the national – and probably the regional – star makers will overlook the Saints. That’s unfortunate because from what I’ve seen over the past two years, this team can play with just about any other.

Of the 12 players on last season’s all-UMAC First Team, six return. St. Scholastica is home to four of them. The Saints return outside Paige Hardy, the 2010 UMAC Player of the Year, and three other First Team all-UMAC players, only one of whom will be a senior this year. Another Saint junior-to-be was named to the Honorable Mention team. Not only are they talented, they’re relatively young.

Martin Luther returns First-Team middle Emily Boldt and outside Rebecca Engelbrecht, the 2010 UMAC Rookie of the Year. First-Team outside Chelsea Koth returns for Northwestern, which loses seven seniors from 2010. Three Honorable Mention selections are back for Minnesota Morris.

Second-seeded Northwestern swept St. Scholastica in the 2010 UMAC Tournament final and received the program’s first NCAA bid. The Eagles led 10-8 in the fifth set but lost, 3-2, to St. Olaf in the opening round of the St. Thomas Regional.

-Ricky Nelson