AMCC Volleyball Preseason Poll

2007 VOLLEYBALL
PRESEASON COACHES' POLL

PENN STATE ALTOONA FAVORED
TO DEFEND VOLLEYBALL TITLE

No longer the underdog, 2006 champion Penn State Altoona has been selected by the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference coaches to successfully defend their volleyball crown. The team they upset in last year's finale, Penn State Behrend, was voted to the #2 spot, while perennial force Frostburg State University is picked to finish third.

Mount Aloysius College senior middle hitter Brianna Baker (Windber, PA/Windber) is the coaches' pick for Preseason Player of the Year. Baker led the AMCC in hitting percentage (.374), ranked second in blocks per game (1.38) and fifth in kills per game (3.81) in 2006. She is a two-time second team and one-time first team all-conference selection. Baker has twice been named the Mount Aloysius Female Athlete of the Year.

The AMCC kicks off conference play on Saturday, September 22. The conference championship will be Saturday, November 3, hosted by the number #1 seed. The winner will receive the AMCC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

AMCC VOLLEYBALL POLL
2007 Preseason Rankings*

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

* Number in parentheses is order of regular season finish in 2006

Preseason Player of the Year
BRIANNA BAKER, MOUNT ALOYSIUS COLLEGE

FROSTBURG STATE UNIVERSITY Head Coach Peter Letourneau (3rd year) 2006: 7-2 AMCC, 13-19 overall
Sophomore OH Brooke Winterling (Glenelg, MD/Glenelg)...2006 AMCC Newcomer of the Year and first team all-conference selection...averaged 4.97 kpg with a .257 hitting percentage...scored 641 points and contributed 320 digs. Sophomore OH/MH Chelsea Wassell (Oakland, MD/Southern Garrett)...Put down 195 kills ( 2.5 kpg) to go with 235 points and 156 digs.
HILBERT COLLEGE Head Coach May Boller (1st year) 2006: 1-8 AMCC, 5-18 overall
Senior S Laura Stranc (West Seneca, NY/West Seneca West)...The Hawks' leader with 292 assists (4.11 apg)...her .68 aces per game (48) ranked second in the AMCC. Junior MB Kristy Gonciarz (Cheektowaga, NY/Maryvale)...Paced the team with 132 kills (1.86 kpg) in 2006...also led the squad in blocks with 33.
LA ROCHE COLLEGE Head Coach Megan Snyder (2nd year) 2006: 0-9 AMCC, 0-22 overall
Sophomore OH Ann Bemis (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin)...No information available. Sophomore MH Kelly Gerba (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin HS)...No information available.
LAKE ERIE COLLEGE Head Coach Gary VanCauwenberge (6th year) 2006: 5-4 AMCC, 12-23 overall
Junior OH Shawnna Sulecki (Rock Creek, OH/Geneva HS)...AMCC All-Conference second team in 2006...set school record for total kills and kills per game...team captain. Junior MH Tiffany Farner (West Salem, OH/Northwestern HS)...All-conference honorable mention last season...set school records for total blocks, block assists and blocks per game...2006 team MVP.
MEDAILLE COLLEGE Head Coach Lonni Wilson (1st year) 2006: 2-7 AMCC, 9-20 overall
No information available.
MOUNT ALOYSIUS COLLEGE Head Coach John Porta (6th year) 2006: 5-4 AMCC, 17-15 overall
Senior MH Brianna Baker (Windber, PA/Windber)...Led the AMCC in hitting percentage (.374), ranked second in blocks per game (1.38) and fifth in kills per game (3.81) in 2006...two-time second team and one-time first team all-conference selection...2004 AMCC Newcomer of the Year...two time Mount Aloysius Female Athlete of the Year. Junior S Katie Byrne (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle)...Ranked #4 in the conference last season with 9.63 assists per game.
PENN STATE ALTOONA Head Coach Aaron Bowers (5th year) 2006: 8-1 AMCC, 17-13 overall
Senior OH Sara Kylor (Huntingdon, PA/Huntingdon)...First team all-conference in 2006...finished #32 nationally in kills per game with 4.37...ranked 8th in the AMCC in hitting percentage (.200)...also contributed 2.98 digs per game and .40 aces per game...finished first on the team in total points (455/4.95 ppg). Senior OH Sheena Cooper (Windber, PA/Windber)...Honorable mention All-AMCC last season...finished 9th in the conference with 3.60 digs per game and second on the team with 2.65 kills per game...other stats: .285 hitting percentage. .31 aces per game, 3.13 points per game.
PENN STATE BEHREND Head Coach Phil Pisano (4th year) 2006: 9-0 AMCC, 29-4 overall
Junior DS Brittany Hennessey (Hopewell, PA/Hopewell)...AMCC All-Conference first team in 2006...passed 1,000 digs milestone in only two years of playing...3^rd in AMCC in digs per game (5.45) and 4^th in service aces per game (0.60)...finished season with 110 games played, 600 digs, and 66 aces. Sophomore S Brooke Gallentine (Mt. Pleasant, PA/Southmoreland)...AMCC All-Conference second team last season...2^nd in AMCC in assists per game (10.26)...finished season with 108 games played, 1,108 assists, 333 digs, and 29 aces.
PITT-BRADFORD Head Coach Tina Phillips (5th year) 2006: 3-6 AMCC, 9-12 overall
Sophomore L Tabitha Ryan (Albion, PA/Northwestern)...Led AMCC in digs with 7.35 per game (ranked #9 nationally)...second team all-conference selection. Sophomore MB Tarra James (Shinglehouse, PA/Oswayo Valley)...Conference leader in blocks with 1.62 per game...ranked second on the team in kills with 104 (1.62 kpg).
PITT-GREENSBURG Head Coach Leroy Simms (5th year) 2006: 4-5 AMCC, 10-14 overall
Senior OH Breanne Bell (Marianna, PA/Beth-Center)...Second team all-conference in 2006...broke school records for most career kills and aces...averaged 3.71 kills and .54 aces per game.