HCAC Releases Volleyball Preseason Poll

DEFIANCE, OHIO - The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference volleyball coaches' preseason poll, released Thursday morning, found the Defiance College program ranked ninth. 

Transylvania, the 2018 runner-up, received 99 points and nine first place votes en route to the number one position. Defending champion Rose-Hulman followed the Pioneers with 87 points. Hanover tallied 78 points and one first place vote. Bluffton and Earlham found a tie for fourth at 66 points to round out the top five. 

The Yellow Jackets tallied 22 points in the polling, placing them behind Franklin, Anderson and Manchester for the ninth place result. 

Defiance will have a wealth of returning talent, of which four Yellow Jackets landed on the "Players to Watch" list. 

Junior Morgan Porter (Defiance / Defiance) is coming off a record-setting season. The Defiance native was named to the All-HCAC team during the 2018 campaign. Porter finished her sophomore season ranked sixth in the NCAA Division III and led the HCAC with 6.13 digs per set. With her 259 digs in 2018, Porter set a new HCAC record. 

Sophomore Delaney Monnin (Defiance / Tinora) found her way onto the players to watch list after her 2018 All-HCAC Freshman Team efforts. As a freshman, Monnin was an integral part of the Yellow Jacket program, playing in 21 matches. 

A duo of seniors is Jessi Davis (Delta / Delta) and Emma Seitz (Toledo / Central Catholic) wrapped up the list. Davis returns after featuring in all 24 matches during 2018 and recording a team-high 92 sets. Davis was nuisance to opponents attacks in 2018 as she tallied 56 total blocks. 

Seitz played in all 24 matches during her junior season. The senior returns after finishing among the best on the team in kills (153), assisted blocks (45), total blocks (52) and solo blocks (7). 

DC Volleyball is set to begin the 2019 season on August 30 with a weekend of action. The Yellow Jackets, under the direction of eighth-year head coach Brie Brenner, will travel to Columbus for the Pam Briggs Capital Classic in which they will play four matches over two days. 

2019 HCAC VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON POLL