Volleyball 25th in AVCA D-III preseason poll

August 23, 2002
The St. Thomas volleyball team is ranked 25th in the preseason volleyball poll for Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches' Association (AVCA).

Three MIAC teams were ranked -- St. Olaf (25-4 in 2001) is tied for 17th; Bethel (25-10 in 2001) is 23rd and St. Thomas (22-8 in 2001) is 25th.

The Oles and Royals shared the 2001 conference championship, and Bethel won the tournament to earn its second consecutive NCAA playoff berth. The Tommies topped the MIAC regular-season standings in 2000.

The Tommies begin their 2002 season Aug. 30-31 in the UW-Superior Stinger Classic, with matches vs. Finlandia, Carleton and Superior. They start their home season Sept. 6-7 in the St. Thomas Invite, with matches vs. St. Ambrose, South Dakota Mines and Concordia-Wisconsin.

UST's first conference match is Sept. 18 vs. St. Olaf.

Tommie coach Cole Tallman (64-30 in his first three seasons) has two of the conference's five returning first-team All-MIAC players -- senior OH Katie Reynolds and junior setter Jane Gibbs.

Reynolds, an All-America candidate, will look to join an elite group of four-time All-MIAC honorees. She earned first-team All-Central Region honors last season after breaking St. Thomas season records for kills, kills per game, and digs. Reynolds played all 30 games in 2001 and ranked ninth nationally with 5.19 kills per game while hitting .332. She's already surpassed 1,200 kills and 1,000 digs on her career, and needs 390 kills in 2002 to become the school career leader. She has played in 91 of a possible 93 career matches, and the Tommies are 64-29 in her three-year era.

Gibbs led the nation in assists per game (14.28) and also had 40 service aces and averaged 3.39 digs a game last season. Her 1,371 assists and 14.28 apg were both school records for one season.

Other veterans expected to play key roles include senior OH Tessa Pritts, who used off season conditioning to increase her vertical jump by 4.5 inches; four juniors -- MB Kristin Pins, OH Emily Buehler, Opposite Amanda Guralski and Setter/BR Bridget Tyrell; and two -- sophomores MB Amie Lee Aschenbeck and Opposite Callie Peotter.

Tallman, who has a 17-year coaching record of 539-170 (.760), said the Tommies' depth is outstanding, in part due to a recruiting class that includes two transfers and three 2001 Minnesota all-staters.

see D-III preseason poll here