2015 GLIAC Volleyball Preseason Poll Results
 
Grand Valley State has been selected by the GLIAC head coaches to finish second in the league's North Division in the preseason poll released on Thursday (Aug. 13). GVSU, the 2014 conference regular season champions, returns nine letterwinners and three starters from a team that won the Midwest Region championship and advanced to the NCAA Final Four last season.
 
The Lakers finished 27-6 in 2014 and owned a 17-1 GLIAC record, while rolling to a 14-1 record in home matches. Included in that 14-1 home mark were three consecutive 3-0 victories in Allendale over Missouri S&T, Ferris State, and Rockhurst, as GVSU captured its ninth Midwest Region title. Grand Valley State was the only team in the country to sweep through the regional tournament last season.
 
In the preseason poll, the Lakers received three of a possible eight first-place votes and recorded 44 total points, finishing just behind Ferris State in the North Division. The Bulldogs scored 47 points and totaled the other five first-place votes. Saginaw Valley State (35 points) finished one point ahead of Northern Michigan (34).
 
Findlay and Ashland tied for first place in the South Division, with each team notching 44 points. Findlay received three first-place votes, while Ashland nabbed two. Hillsdale, which placed third with 40 points, also picked up three first-place votes.
 
North Division
1. Ferris State - 47 points (5 first-place votes)
2. Grand Valley State - 44 points (3 first-place votes)
3. Saginaw Valley State - 35 points
4. Northern Michigan - 34 points
5. Michigan Tech - 22 points
6. Wayne State - 20 points
7. Northwood - 14 points
8. Lake Superior State - 8 points
 
South Division
T-1. Findlay - 44 points (3 first-place votes)
T-1. Ashland - 44 points (2 first-place votes)
3. Hillsdale - 40 points (3 first-place votes)
4. Ohio Dominican - 31 points
5. Malone - 24 points
6. Tiffin - 21 points
7. Walsh - 12 points
8. Lake Erie - 8 points
 
The poll was voted on by the league's 16 head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own team.
 
Head coach Deanne Scanlon is entering her 21st season at the helm of the Laker program and is just 20 victories from becoming the all-time winningest coach in GVSU volleyball history. Scanlon has accumulated 526 wins over the past 20 seasons.
 
Scanlon brings back 2012 GLIAC Freshman of the Year Betsy Ronda, a two-time All-GLIAC selection. Ronda needs one kill to become the eighth Laker in school history to total 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs. Another returning senior - middle blocker Kaleigh Lound - was a 2013 AVCA Third Team All-American and is averaging nearly one block per set throughout her career.
 
Senior outside hitter Kourtney Wolters is the third returning starter for the Lakers, as she made 25 starts last season and was a key contributor during the team's postseason run. Outside hitters Carley Gross and Jessica Majerle, middle blocker Sydney Doby, and setter Katie Olson will compete for increased time on the court, while a promising group of freshmen and transfers looks to contribute immediately.
 
The Lakers open the 2015 season in Allendale for the GVSU Laker Riverfront Classic. Grand Valley State will face Concordia-Portland and Carson-Newman on Sept. 4 before taking on Bemidji State and Lock Haven on Sept. 5.