2009 VOLLEYBALL
PRESEASON COACHES' POLL

 


 COACHES PICK FROSTBURG STATE
TO DEFEND AMCC CHAMPIONSHIP


The Frostburg State University is likely to win its third straight title, say the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference coaches.  The Bobcats garnered a sweep of the first place voting, followed by Penn State Behrend in second place, while Penn St. Altoona is picked to finish third.

Frostburg State outside hitter Brooke Winterling (Glenelg, MD/Glenelg HS) is the coaches' pick for Preseason Player of the Year for the second year in a row.  The AMCC Player of the Year in 2008, Winterling led the Bobcats to the team title with a .304 hitting percentage to go with 525 total kills, 247 digs. 53 aces and 61 blocks.  She is a three-time first team all-conference selection and was the conference Newcomer of the Year in 2006.

This season the conference welcomes D'Youville College to its ranks; the Spartans were previously members of the North Eastern Athletic Conference.  The AMCC kicks off conference play on Saturday, September 19, and the championship will be Saturday, November 7, hosted by the number #1 seed.  The winner will receive the AMCC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
  

AMCC VOLLEYBALL POLL
2009 Preseason Rankings*

1.) Frostburg State (2)
2.) Penn State Behrend (1)
3.) Penn State Altoona (5)
4.) Pitt-Greensburg (3)
5.) Pitt-Bradford (4)
6.) Mount Aloysius (6)
7.) D'Youville (N/A)
8.) Medaille (9)
9.) La Roche (6)
10.) Franciscan (8)
11.) Hilbert (9)

* Number in parentheses is order of regular season finish in 2008


Preseason Player of the Year
BROOKE WINTERLING
FROSTBURG STATE UNIVERSITY
 

OTHER PLAYERS TO WATCH...

D'YOUVILLE COLLEGE
Head Coach Chris Heftka (1st year)
2008:  24-11 overall


Senior OH Falicia Golden (Painted Post, NY/Corning-Painted Post West)...First-Team NEAC…averaged 2.94 kills, 2.64 digs, 0.61 service aces per set…last season, became fourth player in school history to reach 1,000-career dig milestone and became the school’s all-time service ace leader…fourth on the school’s career kill list (884).

Senior S Siblea McFarland (Salamanca, NY/Salamanca)...First-Team NEAC…Set team single-season records for assists (1,208) and assists per set (9.90)…second on the school’s all-time assist list (2584), needs 139 to become leader.
 

FRANCSICAN UNIVERSITY
Head Coach Kelly Herrmann (6th year)
2008:   2-7 AMCC, 5-15 overall


Senior MH Alison Aeschliman (Steubenville, OH/Steubenville Catholic Central)...Ranked third in the AMCC with a .288 hitting percentage...averaged 2.52 kills per game...strong all-around player.

Sophomore DS Nicole Henson (Bloomington, IL/Bloomington Central Catholic)...Contributed 3.75 digs per game last season.
 

FROSTBURG STATE UNIVERSITY
Head Coach Peter Letourneau (5th year)
2008:  8-1 AMCC, 29-6 overall


Senior OH Brooke Winterling (Glenelg, MD/Glenelg)...Two-time AMCC Player of the Year and three-time first team all-conference selection...led the Bobcats to the team title with a .304 hitting percentage to go with 525 total kills, 247 digs. 53 aces and 61 blocks.

Junior OH Sarah Stephens (Oakland, MD/Southern Garrett)...First team all-conference for the champion Bobcats...recorded
336 kills, .228 hitting percentage, 40 aces, 21 blocks, and 243 digs.
 

HILBERT COLLEGE
Head Coach Amanda Logue (1st year)
2008:  1-8 AMCC, 6-16 overall


Junior OH Erica Page (Angola, NY/Lake Shore)...Two time Hawks' MVP...recorded 128 kills, .35 serving percentage and 223 digs in 2008.

Junior MB Carole Jones (Bliss, NY/Letchworth)...Led the team in blocks last season with 46.
 

LA ROCHE COLLEGE
Head Coach Megan Snyder (4th year)
2008:  3-6 AMCC, 9-20 overall


No information available.
 

MEDAILLE COLLEGE
Head Coach Jacob Beiter (2nd year)
2008:  1-8 AMCC, 8-20 overall


Senior OH Michele Burgstahler (Wilson, NY/Wilson)...All-conference honorable mention last season...recorded 300 kills (2.86 kpg) and 36 aces.

Freshman OH Janine Benkelman (Eden, NY/Eden)...All Western New York selection on a high school team that was ranked 13th in the country...won 2 consecutive state championships.
 

MOUNT ALOYSIUS COLLEGE
Head Coach Brianna Baker (2nd year)
2009:  3-6 AMCC, 9-18 overall


Senior OH Melinda Cameron (Johnstown, PA/Ferndale)...Named to conference All-Sportsmanship Team...veteran and versatile player, only senior on the team...started every match last season...a leader both on and off the court.

Sophomore OH Chelsea Trees (Thomasville, PA/Delone Catholic)...Averaged 2.07 kills per game...second on the team in digs and serving aces...played every minute of every game last season.
 

PENN STATE ALTOONA
Head Coach Phil Peterman (2nd year)
2008:  5-4 AMCC, 8-19 overall


Senior OH Olivia Hallahan (Huntingdon, PA/Huntingdon)...The squad's only upperclassman finished 36th in the country in blocks per set at 1.14...shattered the all-time school blocks record at Medaille after tallying 18 block assists...named a second team all-conference performer after averaging a team-best 2.25 kills per game. 

Junior L Jess Tirko  (State College, PA/State College)...Became the first Penn State Altoona student-athlete ever to finish atop the NCAA statistical rankings for a specific category after finishing first in Division III in digs per set...accumulated a 787 digs in 93 games for an 8.46 digs per set average...named to the AMCC all-conference first team.
 

PENN STATE BEHREND
Head Coach Phil Pisano (6th year)
2008:  9-0 AMCC, 25-9 overall


Senior MH Sheila Ogden (Grove City, PA/Grove City)...First Team All-AMCC in 2008...team high 308 kills  go with 71 blocks and 54 digs...selected to all-tournament team at Behrend Invitational...currently fifth all-time at Behrend in hitting percentage and eighth in career kills.

Senior S Brooke Gallentine (Mt. Pleasant, PA/Southmoreland)...First team All-AMCC last season...team MVP...selected for all-tournament team at Thomas More Invitational...tallied1,062 assists, 309 digs, 38 aces in 2008...currently second at Behrend in career assists.
 

PITT-BRADFORD
Head Coach Tina Phillips (7th year)
2008:  6-3 AMCC, 15-14 overall


Junior OH Jackie Podrasky (Medina, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary)...Conference Newcomer of the Year and second team All-AMCC in 2007...led the team in kills (3.48 kpg) and ranked #5 in the league...also ranked #7 in the conference in digs (4.68 dpg).
 

PITT-GREENSBURG
Head Coach Leroy Simms (7th year)
2008:  7-2 AMCC, 13-10 overall


Senior MB Kelsey Wilcox (Dubois, PA/Dubois)...Honorable mention all-conference last season...ranked 8th in the league in hitting percentage...second on the team with kills (133), team leader in blocks (58).