2006 VOLLEYBALL
PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
 


 PENN STATE BEHREND COACHES' CHOICE
TO WIN VOLLEYBALL CROWN
 


After finishing a perfect 9-0 in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference regular season  competition last season, the league coaches have selected Penn State Behrend as the strong favorite to repeat as conference champions in 2006.  Frostburg State University, whose streak of seven straight titles was broken by the Behrend Lions last season, was picked to finish second, while runner-up Penn State Altoona is slotted at #3.

Penn State Behrend middle hitter Elaine Voltz (Knoch HS/Saxonburg, PA) is the coaches' near-unanimous pick for Preseason Player of the Year.  The AMCC 2005 Player of the Year, Voltz led the conference in hitting percentage (.363) and ranked second in the league in kills per game (4.19) and blocks per game (1.05).

The AMCC, celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2006-07, kicks off conference play on Saturday, September 23.  The conference championship will be Saturday, November 4, hosted by the number #1 seed.  The winner will receive the AMCC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.    
  

AMCC 2006 VOLLEYBALL POLL
Preseason Rankings*

1.) Penn State Behrend (1)
2.) Frostburg State (3)
3.) Penn State Altoona (2)
4.) Mount Aloysius (4)
5.) Lake Erie (6)
6.) Pitt-Bradford (5)
7.) Pitt-Greensburg (7)
8.) Medaille (9)
9.) La Roche (8)
10.) Hilbert (10)

* Number in parentheses is order of regular season finish in 2005


Preseason Player of the Year
 Elaine Voltz, Penn St. Behrend
 

OTHER PLAYERS TO WATCH...

FROSTBURG STATE UNIVERSITY
Head Coach Peter Letourneau (2nd year)
2005:  7-2 AMCC, 17-16 overall


Senior S Amanda Hernandez (Arundel HS/Crofton, MD)...Named to the All-AMCC second team in 2005...ranked second in the league in assists (9.96 apg)...also averaged .52 aces per game and 2.13 digs per game.

Sophomore MH Caryn Wright (Western Tech HS/Pikesville, MD)...Contributed 91 blocks (.88 bpg) and 204 kills with a .302 hitting percentage as a freshman.
 

HILBERT COLLEGE
Head Coach Tim Clauss (2nd year)
2005:  0-9 AMCC, 1-26 overall


Junior S Laura Stranc (West Seneca, NY/West Seneca West)...Led the
2005 Hawks with 491 assists

Sophomore Desiree Miller (Cheektowaga, NY/West Seneca East)...Recorded
127 kills last fall.
 

LA ROCHE COLLEGE
Head Coach TBA
2005:  2-7 AMCC, 4-21 overall


Junior OH Sarah Trischler (Shaler HS/Pittsburgh, PA)...Led the Redhawks' defense last season with 275 digs...her 3.67 dpg ranked fifth in the league.
 

LAKE ERIE COLLEGE
Head Coach Gary VanCauwenberge (5th year)
 2005:   4-5 AMCC, 8-23 overall


Sophomore MH Tiffany Farner (Northwestern HS/West Salem, OH)...AMCC All-Conference honorable mention in 2005...led the league with a school-record 116 total blocks, as well as block assists (84) and blocks per game (1.17).

Sophomore OH Shawnna Sulecki (Geneva HS/Rock Creek, OH)...Set school records with 237 kills and 2.37 kpg in 2005...led the team defensively with a school mark of 267 digs...also named all-conference honorable mention.
 

MEDAILLE COLLEGE
Head Coach Keith Koch (1st year)
2005:  1-8 AMCC, 5-23 overall


Senior OH Lauren Smith (Kenmore East HS/Kenmore, NY)...Led the Mavericks in kills (240) and kills per game (2.5) last season.

Junior MB Dana Metz (Maryvale HS/Cheektowaga, NY)...Ranked #1 on the team in blocks last season with 41.
 

MOUNT ALOYSIUS COLLEGE
Head John Porta (5th year)
 2005:  6-3 AMCC, 17-11 overall


Senior OH Jill McCoy (Central HS/Roaring Spring, PA)...Although injured early, the 2005 Preseason Player of the Year still led the league in kills per game (4.26) and was sixth in hitting percentage (.270)...two time first team All-AMCC...2005 team MVP.

Junior MH Brianna Baker (Windber HS/Windber, PA)...First team all-conference last season...ranked third in the league in hitting percentage (.331) and third in kills (3.91 kpg)...also ranked 9th in blocks with .83 bpg...Mount Aloysius Female Athlete of the Year in 2005.
 

PENN STATE ALTOONA
Head Coach Aaron Bowers (4th year)
2005:  8-1 AMCC, 21-7 overall


Junior L Megan Goss (Huntingdon HS/Huntingdon, PA)...First team All-AMCC in 2005...led the conference in digs with 5.11 dpg...top passer rating on the team.

Junior OH Sheena Cooper (Windber HS/Windber, PA)...Selected as all-conference honorable mention...averaged 2.78 kills with a .211 hitting percentage...contributed .53 aces per game, averaging 3.62 points per game...the #2 passer on the team with 2.56 dpg.
 

PENN STATE BEHREND
Head Coach Phil Pisano (3rd year)
2005:  9-0 AMCC, 26-8 overall


Senior MH Elaine Voltz (Knoch HS/Saxonburg, PA)...2005 AMCC Player of the Year and first team All-AMCC for the past two seasons...led the league in hitting percentage (.363) and ranked second in kills per game (4.19) and blocks per game (1.05)...surpassed 1,000 career kills in 2005.

Senior OH Lisa Wagner (Laurel HS/New Castle, PA)...First team All-AMCC last year...ranked fourth in the conference in digs per game (3.78), exceeding 1,000 career digs...also ranked fifth in kills per game (3.62).
 

PITT-BRADFORD
Head Coach Tina Phillips (4th year)
2005:  5-4 AMCC, 11-14 overall


Senior OH Jamie Keane (Bradford HS/Bradford, PA)...Named team MVP and second team all-conference in 2005...led the Panthers in kills (266) and digs (269)...ranked 10th in the AMCC in kpg (2.99) and11th in dpg (3.02).

Junior L Amy McCoy (Elderton HS/Kittaning, PA)...Team leader in assists (612) and aces (40) last season...ranked 5th in the conference in assists per game (6.75).
 

PITT-GREENSBURG
Head Coach Leroy Simms (4th year)
2005:  3-6 AMCC, 8-25 overall


Junior OH Breanne Bell (Beth-Center HS/Marianna, PA)...Two time honorable mention all-conference...ranked in the top ten in the league in kills (3.03 kpg) and top five in aces (.63 apg).

Sophomore OH/S Leslie Long (Greensburg-Salem HS/Greensburg, PA)...Led the Bobcats in assists last season...also ranked among the team leaders in kills and blocks.