Hanover is Coaches Pick to Lead Highly Competitive HCAC Volleyball Race

GREENWOOD, IN - The Hanover College volleyball team has been selected as the
preseason favorite to win the 2012 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
championship. In a poll of the ten HCAC head coaches, the Panthers received
a total of 88 points and two first place votes.


2012 HCAC Preseason Poll


Team Points


1. Hanover  88 (2)
2. Transylvania 83 (3)
3.Bluffton  76 (2)
4.Mount St. Joseph 74 (1)
5.Rose-Hulman 71 (2)
6. Defiance 48
7. Anderson 38
8.Manchester 35
9.Franklin 26
10.Earlham11



Transylvania University placed second in the poll with 83 points and three
first place votes, while Bluffton University is picked to finish third in
the conference standings this fall with 76 points and two first place votes.
The College of Mount St. Joseph (74 points, one first place vote),
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (71, two first place votes), Defiance
College (48), Anderson University (38), Manchester University (35), Franklin
College (26), and Earlham College (11) round out the poll.



The Panthers are coming off a 19-11 season and 7-2 conference record in
2011, claiming a share of the conference championship. Hanover fell in the
HCAC Tournament semifinals to Rose-Hulman, ending their season.



Coach Preocanin's Panthers look to be a formidable opponent once again in a
highly competitive HCAC.  Hanover returns two All-HCAC honorable mention
selections and the HCAC Most Valuable Defensive Player, after losing the
conference's Most Valuable Player (Abby Merritt) to graduation.  Junior
libero Kylie Justus (Crawfordsville, Ind./H.S.) returns to lead the Panthers
effort after earning defensive MVP honors last fall.  Stacey Sorgius
(Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian) and Sarah Quebe (Indianapolis,
Ind./Perry Meridian) will look to pace the HC offense.



Justus saw action in 27 matches last year, recording a league-high 5.92 digs
per set.  Sorgius led the team with 817 assists in 2011, while Quebe
contributed 212 kills and a team-high 92 total blocks.



Transylvania University finished alongside Hanover in a five-way tie at the
top of the standings last season with a 7-2 conference mark and a 19-11
record overall.  The Pioneers will look to contend for their third straight
conference title behind junior Meghan Bowers (Louisville, Ky./Presentation)
and sophomore Lauren Ketron (Mason, Ohio/William Mason).  Bowers earned
First-Team All-HCAC honors last season, ranking among the conference leaders
in hitting percentage (.263) and kills (2.59 per set).  Ketron was named
All-HCAC honorable mention in 2011, adding 283 kills and 36 total blocks.



Bluffton University was part of the five-way tie for first last fall with a
7-2 conference record and held an overall mark of 22-11.  The Beavers lost
three All-HCAC players to graduation, but return All-HCAC honorable mention
member Heather Schierer (Crescent Springs, Ky./St. Henry) to the squad.
Schierer contributed a team-high 582 digs as a junior last fall.



The 2012 volleyball season is scheduled to open on August 31.



Players to Watch




Anderson

Tayler Stone

Junior

MH

Muncie, Ind./Delta

         



Jordan Stanley

Junior

Setter

Muncie, Ind./Wes-Del

         

Stephanie Weinman

Senior

OH/DS

Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central

         

Kelly Roberts

Sophomore

OH

Heath, Ohio/H.S.



         

Bluffton

Heather Schierer

Senior

Libero

Crescent Springs, Ky./St. Henry

         



Bethany Behnfeldt

Junior

MH

Napoleon, Ohio/H.S.


         

Defiance

Alicia Kalik

Sophomore

Setter

South Lyon, Mich./H.S.

         

 

Chelsea Ludeman

Junior

OH

Napoleon, Ohio/H.S.

         

Alexis Pierce

Junior

OH

Wauseon, Ohio/H.S.

         

Christa Seidenstricker

Sophomore

Libero

Plain City, Ohio/Jonathan Alder


         

Earlham

Jazmyn Corlew

Junior

MH

Elyria, Ohio/H.S.

         


Ashlee Heberger

Senior

Setter

Fairport, N.Y./H.S.

         

Meg Huffmeyer

Sophomore

OH

Osgood, Ind./Jac-Cen-Del



         

Franklin

Caitlyn Farris

Sophomore

Libero

Zionsville, Ind./H.S.

         

 

Brooke Stamper

Sophomore

Setter

Brownsburg, Ind./Covenant Christian

         

Taylor Parrish

Sophomore

OH

Vandalia, Ill./H.S.

         

Jordan Finke

Sophomore

MH

Indianapolis, Ind./Lutheran


         

Hanover

Kylie Justus

Junior

Libero

Crawfordsville, Ind./H.S.

         

 

Stacey Sorgius

Junior

Setter

Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian

         

Sarah Quebe

Senior

MH/OH

Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian



         

Manchester

Makenna Hamilton

Junior

DS/OH

Medaryville, Ind./West Central

         

  

Mallory Kirkwood

Sophomore

Setter

Greenfield, Ind./Greenfield Central




The Mount

Jaclyn Stenger

Senior

Libero

Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills

         

  

Michelle Woods

Senior

DS

Ft. Wright, Ky./Newport Central Catholic

         

Nicole Sherpensky

Junior

MH

Cincinnati, Ohio/Northwest

         

Hannah Vanarsdall

Junior

OH

Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley

       

Rose-Hulman

Anna Lewer

Senior

OH

Indianapolis, Ind./Lutheran

         


Casey Levitt

Junior

OH

Thousand Oaks, Calif./Westlake

         



Kira Boswell

Junior

Setter

Ames, Iowa/H.S.

         



Kate Dangel

Junior

OH

Upper Arlington, Ohio/H.S.



         

Transylvania

Meghan Bowers

Junior

MH

Louisville, Ky./Presentation

         

   

Lauren Ketron

Sophomore

OH

Mason, Ohio/William Mason

         

Melissa Sexton

Junior

OH

Louisville, Ky./Sacred Heart

         



Allegra Guerrettaz

Junior

MH

Indianapolis, Ind./Speedway

         



Rachel D'Agnillo

Sophomore

Libero

Florence, Ky./St. Henry