Volleyball Picked Second, Garners Three Preseason All-MAC Selections
8/22/2016 10:36:00โฏAM | Women's Volleyball
CLEVELAND, Ohio โ The Kent State volleyball team has been picked to finish second in the Mid-American Conference East Division in the conference's preseason coaches poll, which was released Monday morning. The Golden Flashes led all schools with three players โ junior outside hitter Kelsey Bittinger, junior libero Challen Geraghty and senior setter Katarina Kojic โ voted to the 13-member Preseason All-MAC Teams, as selected by the league's 12 head coaches.
Entering his fifth season at the helm, head coach Don Gromala has guided the Flashes to a spot in the final conference standings higher than their projected finish each of the past three seasons.
Kent State received two votes to win the 2016 MAC Volleyball Championship in DeKalb, Ill. and receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, trailing only Miami (5 votes) and Northern Illinois (4 votes).
Miami is also the favorite to win the MAC regular season (9 votes) and East Division crowns. The RedHawks received nine first-place votes and 68 points to win their first division title since 1998. Kent State garnered one first-place and 57 points to edge out perennial conference power Ohio for second. The Bobcats, which have won at least a share of the East Division crown in 13 straight seasons, received two first-place votes and 55 points. Buffalo, Bowling Green and Akron rounded out the voting in the East.
Defending regular season champion Northern Illinois was a near unanimous choice to win the West Division, receiving 11 of 12 first-place votes and 71 points. Western Michigan was picked second with 58 points and tallied the other first-place vote.
The excitement level around the Kent State volleyball program is at an all-time high after capturing a share of the first MAC East Division championship in school history last season. The only team to defeat every other MAC school during the regular season en route to a record 13 conference victories, the Flashes put together the fourth 20-win campaign in program history and advanced to the semifinals of the MAC Volleyball Championship for the first time since 2007.
Kent State will look to its 11 returning letterwinners to lead the quest for more history in 2016. Headlining that group is the trio of Geraghty, Kojic and Bittinger that each earned All-MAC First Team honors a year ago. Geraghty, who was named AVCA All-Mideast Region Honorable Mention and MAC Defensive Player of the Year, ranked sixth in the country with 5.74 digs per set. Kojic's MAC-leading 50 service aces were 16th in the country and she ranked 59th with 10.50 assists per set. Bittinger was third in the conference in points per set (4.07) and kills per set (3.62) while adding 2.83 digs per set.
Kent State opens the season this weekend with three matches at the Holiday Inn Orlando East/UCF Invitational, beginning with a 10 a.m. contest against Stetsonย on Friday (Aug. 26). The Flashes then make their debut at the M.A.C. Center with the Golden Flashes Classic on Sept. 2-3.
The 2016 MAC Volleyball Championship will be held Nov. 17-20 with the top eight teams in the conference competing for a postseason bid at the Convocation Center in DeKalb, Ill.
Season tickets are on sale and can be purchased for just $35. Call the Kent State Ticket Office at 330-672-2244 to order. ย
2016 MAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
MAC East Division
1. Miami (9 first place votes) - 68
2. Kent State (1) - 57
3. Ohio (2) - 55
4. Buffalo - 31
5. Bowling Green - 28
6. Akron - 13
MAC West Division
1. Northern Illinois (11 first place votes) - 71
2. Western Michigan (1) - 58
3. Ball State - 43
4. Central Michigan - 37
5. Eastern Michigan - 25
6. Toledo - 17
MAC Regular Season Champion: Miami (9), Kent State (1), Northern Illinois (1), Ohio (1)
Predicted MAC Tournament Champion: Miami (5), Northern Illinois (4), Kent State (2), Western Michigan (1)
2016 Preseason All-MAC East
Jelena Sunjic, Bowling Green
Cassie Shado, Buffalo
Kelsey Bittinger, Kent State
Challen Geraghty, Kent State
Katarina Kojic, Kent State
Paige Hill, Miami
Jaime Kosiorek, Ohio
2016 Preseason All-MAC West
Mackenzie Kitchel, Ball State
Jordan Bueter, Central Michigan
Taylor Robertson, Central Michigan
Jenna Radtke, Northern Illinois
Lauren Zielinski, Northern Illinois
Sydney LeMay, Western Michigan
