RedStorm No. 4 in RSC Women's Volleyball poll
Rio Grande/RSC Sports Information
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio - The University of Rio Grande has been picked fourth in the 2024 River States Conference Preseason Women's Volleyball Coaches' Poll.
The list, which was product of the conference's 12 head coaches ranking the other member schools in order of predicted finish, was announced on Monday by the league office.
Head coach Billina Donaldson's squad tallied 87 points in the balloting.
The RedStorm is coming off a 20-11 campaign in 2023 - its first 20-win season since 2016. Five of the team's six All-RSC honorees from last year return this fall, including senior Jordan Brooks (Reynoldsburg, OH) and sophomore outside hitter Kelli Stewart (Waverly, OH), both of whom were named to the all-conference Second Team.
Stewart was also named the RSC Freshman of the Year.
Rio's returnees also include seniors Amanda Rarick (Canal Winchester, OH) and Avery Huntzinger (Canal Winchester, OH), as well as sophomore Averie Bruce (Baltimore, OH), all of whom were All-RSC Third Team selections a year ago.
The RedStorm open their schedule on Saturday at Bethel (IN) University when they face the host Pilots and Concordia (Mich.) University in a tri-match.
The Cougars of Indiana University Kokomo are the favorites to win their seventh consecutive RSC volleyball championship, finishing atop the poll after being listed first on 10 of the 12 ballots and tallying 120 points.
IU Kokomo won its Opening Round match in the NAIA Tournament last season, advancing the final site in Sioux City, Iowa. The Cougars enter the season having won 22 River States Conference matches in a row.
The defending champions will get the RSC volleyball season underway Thursday, when they play a pair of matches on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University.
The other two first place votes went to the Red Wolves of Indiana University East (111 pts.), the reigning RSC East Division champions and the league's other NAIA Tournament qualifier.
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College totaled 93 points to edge Rio Grande for third place, while Oakland City University (80 pts.) rounded out the top five.
The remainder of the poll saw Shawnee State University sixth with 70 points, followed by Indiana University Southeast (66 pts.), West Virginia University-Tech (58 pts.), Midway University (40 pts.), Indiana University Columbus (35 pts.), Brescia University (21 pts.), and Alice Lloyd College (11 pts).
The conference season is scheduled to begin on September 17, when Rio Grande, IU Kokomo and Midway will host matches against IU East, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, and Oakland City, respectively.