SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Denver was selected to take home the Summit League Volleyball regular season title, garnering 75 points and six first-place votes in the preseason coaches’ poll released Wednesday by league officials. The Pioneers topped a trio of teams in the poll that all received first-place votes and finished within two games of each other during a tightly-contest 2021 campaign that saw Omaha win its first regular season title.
 
Since joining the league in 2013-14, the Pioneers have won at least a share of the regular season title six times. The Pioneers edged two-time defending tournament champion South Dakota by one point to take the No. 1 spot. The Coyotes took second with 74 points and earned three first-place votes. The Mavericks were picked to finish third, totaling 68 points and receiving the final first-place vote.
 
Oral Roberts claimed the fourth-place spot with 53 points while South Dakota State tallied 51 points and was picked fifth. Kansas City (42) was predicted to finish sixth, while North Dakota State followed the Roos in seventh with 35 points. North Dakota (22), St. Thomas (20) and Western Illinois (10) rounded out the poll in eighth, ninth and tenth, respectively.

2022 Summit League Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll

Rank	School	Points (1st)	2021 Record (SL)
1.	Denver	75 (6)	23-6 (14-4)
2.	South Dakota	74 (3)	20-10 (15-3)
3.	Omaha	68 (1)	20-10 (16-2)
4.	Oral Roberts	53	18-11 (11-7)
5.	South Dakota State	51	19-12 (10-8)
6.	Kansas City	42	21-10 (12-6)
7.	North Dakota State	35	12-18 (6-12)
8.	North Dakota	22	1-29 (0-18)
9.	St. Thomas	20	3-25 (2-16)
10.	Western Illinois	10	5-24 (4-14)

 
#SummitVB Preseason Notes

• Two of the Summit League's individual award recipients from the 2021 season return to action. Omaha brings back Setter of the Year Sami Clarkson and Freshman of the Year Hailey Green of Denver.
• Clarkson finished her junior season leading the league in assists per set (11.18) and ranked second in total assists (1,219). She finished the season with a team-high 30 aces.
• Green enters her second season having appeared in all 29 matches as a rookie for the Pioneers, starting 24 of them. The Loveland, Ohio, native recorded the second-most kills on the team with 246, posted a .269 hitting percentage, notched 72 total blocks and totaled nine matches with at least 10 kills.
• Defending regular season champion Omaha returns nine from last season’s roster including All-League Honorable Mention Team members Marriah Buss, Jaiden Centeno and McKenna Ruch.
• South Dakota, who won its third Summit League Tournament title and second straight last season, has 11 returners back for 2022, including All-League First Teamers Madison Harms and Elizabeth Juhnke.
• Harms set a single-season program record and ranked second in the league with a .409 hitting percentage, which was the sixth-best single season mark in Summit League history. She also ranked third in the league with a 1.19 block per set average, totaling 24 solo blocks to set a school record in the 25-point rally scoring era.
• Juhnke was named an AVCA All-Region honoree after appearing in all 116 sets while leading the Summit League in kills (461) and kills per set (3.97). She was also named the Championship MVP after equaling a league tournament record with 24 kills in the three-set victory over Omaha. The Lakeville, Minn., native contributed 37 assists, 347 digs, 23 service aces and 56 total blocks to her stat sheet for 2021.
• Oral Roberts, who made its first Summit League Tournament appearance since 2017, brings back All-League first-teamer Sakira LaCour, who was named to the All-Tournament squad. LaCour led the league in blocks with 141 and ranked 22^nd nationally in that category. She averaged a league-best 1.33 blocks per set, ranking 15^th nationally.
• In addition to LaCour, Trinity Freeman returns for the blue and gold among the 2021 All-League honorees. The sophomore, who was named to the All-Freshman team, led ORU with 285 kills, averaging 2.74 kills per set and ranked second on the team in total points with 334.5.
• South Dakota State brings back All-League First Team honoree Crystal Burk after she led the Jackrabbits in kills (442) and kills per set (3.75). She played in every set last season, leading the team with 36 service aces and ranking second in the league in overall total kills with 442.
• In addition to Burk, the Jackrabbits return All-League freshman team recipient Ella Thompson. Thompson ranked third on the team with 194 kills and 1.75 kills per set and took part in 106 blocks, which led the team and ranked fourth in the league.
• Ali Hinze of North Dakota State, who earned Honorable Mention All-League accolades last season, returns for the Bison and was ranked fifth in the league in kills (370) and kills per set (3.43).

#SummitVB Schedule Notes

• The 2022 season officially begins on Aug. 26 with the first serves going up at 10 a.m. CT as North Dakota State takes on Jackson State and South Dakota State matches up against UIC.
• Reigning tournament champions South Dakota will open its season at home against No. 4 Louisville, an NCAA Final Four participant, on Aug. 26 inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
• League play begins Thursday, Sept. 22, with eight of the 10 league members taking the court.
• The top six regular season finishers qualify for The Summit League Volleyball Championship slated for Nov. 24-26 inside Baxter Arena in Omaha, Neb.

Players to Watch
Lorrin Poulter | Denver | Setter | Senior

• Recorded 35 kills and handed out the second-most assists on the team (475)
• Notched the second-most service aces on the team (34) and totaled 164 digs
• Had seven matches with at least 20 assists and finished with five double-doubles last season

Brianna Green | Denver | Middle Blocker | Senior

• Appeared and started in all 29 matches, recording 167 kills and ranked sixth in the league in hitting percentage (.337)
• Notched a team-high 100 blocks, eighth in the league, and recorded three matches in double-figure kills
• Totaled a season-high 13 kills against South Dakota State on Nov. 13

Elizabeth Juhnke | South Dakota | Outside Hitter | Senior

• Named a 2021 All-League First Team honoree and back-to-back Summit League Championship MVP
• Earned 2021 AVCA All-Region honors after leading the league in kills (461) and kills per set (3.97)
• Contributed 37 assists, 347 digs, 23 service aces and 56 total blocks

Madison Harms | South Dakota | Middle Blocker | Senior

• 2021 All-League First Team recipient
• Set a South Dakota single-season program record and ranked second in the league with a .409 hitting percentage, sixth-best all-time in the Summit League
• Ranked third in Summit League with a 1.19 blocks per set average, totaling 24 solo blocks, a school record in the 25-point rally era and 97 assisted blocks

Sami Clarkson | Omaha | Setter | Senior

• Named the 2021 Setter of the Year and All-Summit League first team honoree
• Led the Mavericks with 1,219 assists, averaging 11.19 per set, ranking first among the league in assists per set and second in total assists
• Finished the season with a team-high 30 aces, while tallying 218 digs for 2.0 per set
• Finished with 48 kills and 48 blocks and secured seven double-doubles

Jaiden Centeno | Omaha | Defensive Specialist/Libero | Senior

• 2021 All-League Honorable Mention
• Second on the team with 428 digs, averaging 3.93 per set, which was seventh best in the league
• Posted seven matches with more than 20 digs

Sakira LaCour | Oral Roberts | Middle Blocker | Senior

• 2021 All-League First Team and Summit League All-Tournament Team member
• Led the Summit League in blocks with 141, which ranked 22^nd nationally
• Averaged a league-best 1.33 blocks per set, ranking 15^th nationally

Trinity Freeman | Oral Roberts | Outside Hitter | Sophomore

• Named to the 2021 All-Summit League Freshman Team
• Led the Golden Eagles with 285 kills, averaging 2.74 kills per set
• Ranked second on the team in total points with 334.5 and tallied 79 blocks and 105 digs

Crystal Burk | South Dakota State | Outside Hitter | Graduate

• 2021 All-League First Team and Summit League All-Tournament Team honoree
• Led the team in kills (442) and kills per set (3.75)
• Posted 16 double-doubles, had at least 19 kills on 25 occasions
• Ranked second in the league in overall total kills (442) and fourth in overall kills per set (3.75)

Raegan Reilly | South Dakota State | Setter | Sophomore

• Played the 2021 season at North Dakota State, appearing in 29 of the team’s 30 matches
• Tallied 788 assists, 201 digs, 30 blocks and 22 service aces
• Recorded 8.76 assists per set, ranking fifth in the league

Kennedy Schritenhal | Kansas City | Setter | Senior

• Led the Roos with 44 service aces, ranking second in the league with 0.38 aces per set
• Posted double-digit digs in 13 matches and averaged 2.22 digs per set ranking fourth on the team
• Sent across at least three service aces on six occasions

Raina Smith | Kansas City | Outside Hitter | Senior

• Totaled 74 sets played and eight starts last season, posting double-digit kills in ten different matches, including four consecutive matches (Sept. 10-17)
• Ranked fourth on the team with 181 kills and sixth with 24 blocks
• Garnered a career-high 15 kills against Arkansas State and recorded 29 digs last season

Ali Hinze | North Dakota State | Outside Hitter | Junior

• Named to the 2021 All-League Honorable Mention team
• Ranked fifth in the league in kills with 370 and kills per set with 3.43
• Posted a team-high 14 double-doubles during the 2021 season

Syra Tanchin | North Dakota State | Outside Hitter | Senior

• Ranked sixth in the league in total kills with 370 during the 2021 season
• Positioned seventh in the league in kills per set (3.36)
• Reached double-digit kills 21 times and posted three 20-kill performances in 2021

Marissa Stockman | North Dakota | Middle Blocker/Right Side | Graduate

• Four-year transfer who competed at Florida State (2019-21) and Illinois State (2018)
• Averaged 1.39 blocks per set in the 2020-21 season, playing in eight matches overall
• Named to the Missouri Valley All-Freshman Team in 2018 after leading the league and team with a .355 hitting percentage

Sierra Ward | North Dakota | Outside Hitter | Right Side

• Spent her first four seasons at Black Hills State where she recorded 632 kills and 176 blocks
• Received RMAC Honorable Mention All-Conference honors in 2019, 2020 and 2021
• Second on BHSU in kills with 214 last season and earned a .238 hitting percentage

Lauren Galvin | St. Thomas | Outside Hitter | Sophomore

• 2021 All-Summit League Freshman Team selection
• Averaged 3.4 kills per set, finishing with 325 overall, leading the team
• Registered 23 assists, 33 service aces, 197 digs and 34 total blocks

Ellie Dammann | St. Thomas | Middle Blocker | Junior

• Finished the 2021 season with 100 kills, five assists, one service ace and 31 digs
• Led the team in blocks (78) and was fourth in kills
• Posted 1.1 kills per match and twice registered eight kills during last season

Karli Wenzel | Western Illinois | Libero | Sophomore

• 2021 All-Summit League Freshman Team recipient
• Led the team in digs per set with 3.72, ranking ninth in the league and highest among first-year true freshman last season
• Tallied 17 matches of double-digit figures in digs and posted a single-match, career-high (27) at North Dakota on Oct. 28

Brittany Wulf | Western Illinois | Outside Hitter | Sophomore

• 2021 All-Summit League Freshman Team honoree
• Her 2.57 kills per set were the highest mark of any first-year player in the league last season
• Assisted on 16 blocks and finished fourth on the team with 162 total kills
• Notched double-digit kills in five of a seven-match stretch, including a career-best 21 against Omaha (Oct. 21)