The UMSL women’s volleyball team went 25-7, won the Midwest Regional title and advanced to the national semifinals last season. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Nora Nichols
Staff Writer
ST. LOUIS, MO — With the season set to begin in a little more than a week, the University of Missouri-St. Louis women’s volleyball team received a couple of exciting preseason accolades from peers around the country.
First, the UMSL women were voted No. 10 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association national preseason Top 25 poll. And later, the Tritons were picked as the preseason favorites to win the Great Lakes Valley Conference championship this season.
Both polls were conducted last week and the results were announced on Wednesday morning.
UMSL is coming off one of its most successful seasons ever. The Tritons went 25-7 last year and tied for first place in the GLVC regular standings.
Then in the postseason, UMSL won the NCAA Midwest Regional championship and advanced all the way the NCAA Tournament national semifinals, before succumbing to eventual national champion West Texas A&M.
This season, led by head coach Ryan Young, UMSL returns five starters, several key rotation players, and 14 players in total from last year’s squad, which includes first team All-GLVC selections Caitlin Bishop (setter) and Lexie Rang (outside hitter) and second team honorees Hailey Flowers (outside hitter) and Kylie Adams (libero).
The No. 10 preseason ranking is the highest national ranking UMSL has ever reached, surpassing last year’s top mark of No. 11 in the final AVCA poll.
In the GLVC preseason poll, the Tritons received 164 total points and 10 of 14 first-place votes, while two-time defending champ Lewis came in second with 155 points and three first-place votes.
Rockhurst was picked third garnering 138 points. Quincy and Missouri S&T were picked to finish in a tie for fourth with 121 points, with Quincy receiving the final first place vote.
UMSL will officially begin the the 2023 season on September 1, when it will play in the Ray Thrasher Volleyball Classic, hosted by Trevecca Nazarene in Nashville, Tenn.
That weekend the Tritons will play four matches — a doubleheader on Friday and another on Saturday — with one of those matches being a highly anticipated, opening weekend contest against preseason No. 25 Lynn University.
The Tritons will make their home debut, when they begin GLVC league play on September 22, Mark Twain Gymnasium against William Jewell.
AVCA/TARAFLEX Division II Women’s Volleyball Preseason Poll
| Rank | School (First-Place Votes Adjusted) | Total Points Adjusted | Record | Previous Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Texas A&M [42] | 1139 | 0-0 | NA |
| 2 | Concordia- St. Paul [5] | 1096 | 0-0 | NA |
| 3 | MSU Denver | 988 | 0-0 | NA |
| 4 | Wayne State (NE) | 912 | 0-0 | NA |
| 5 | Tampa | 904 | 0-0 | NA |
| 6 | Barry | 815 | 0-0 | NA |
| 7 | St. Cloud State | 800 | 0-0 | NA |
| 8 | Minnesota Duluth | 780 | 0-0 | NA |
| 9 | Cal State L.A. | 732 | 0-0 | NA |
| 10 | UMSL | 668 | 0-0 | NA |
| 11 | Southwest Minnesota State | 593 | 0-0 | NA |
| 12 | West Florida | 551 | 0-0 | NA |
| 13 | Northwest Missouri State | 536 | 0-0 | NA |
| 14 | Alaska-Anchorage | 505 | 0-0 | NA |
| 15 | Western Washington | 487 | 0-0 | NA |
| 16 | Nebraska-Kearney | 463 | 0-0 | NA |
| 17 | Washburn | 374 | 0-0 | NA |
| 18 | Regis | 327 | 0-0 | NA |
| 19 | Cal State San Bernardino | 320 | 0-0 | NA |
| 20 | Wingate | 270 | 0-0 | NA |
| 21 | Colorado Mesa | 234 | 0-0 | NA |
| 22 | Colorado School of Mines | 204 | 0-0 | NA |
| 23 | Cal Poly Pomona | 163 | 0-0 | NA |
| 24 | Gannon | 153 | 0-0 | NA |
| 25 | Lynn | 122 | 0-0 | NA |
Others receiving votes and listed on two or more ballots: Chaminade 112; Quincy 98; Harding 92; Central Oklahoma 88; Lewis 78; Ferris State 68; Central Washington 61; Wheeling 53; Clarion 48; Hillsdale 44; Dallas Baptist 31; Daemen 29; Central Missouri 28; Southern New Hampshire 23; American International 19; Eckerd 18; Grand Valley State 14; Augusta University 11; Nova Southeastern 10; Angelo State 9; Texas-Tyler 9; Point Loma 7; Oklahoma Baptist University 5; Sonoma State 5; Seattle Pacific 3.
2023 GLVC VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON POLL
| Place | School | Points (1st-Place Votes) |
| 1 | UMSL | 164 (10) |
| 2 | Lewis | 155 (3) |
| 3 | Rockhurst | 138 |
| 4 | Quincy | 121 (1) |
| Missouri S&T | 121 | |
| 6 | Indianapolis | 117 |
| 7 | Illinois Springfield | 87 |
| 8 | Upper Iowa | 85 |
| 9 | Maryville | 77 |
| 10 11 | Drury McKendree | 62 59 |
| 12 | Southwest Baptist | 43 |
| 13 | William Jewell | 28 |
| 14 | Truman State | 17 |
2023 UMSL Tritons Women’s Volleyball Schedule
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 1 | 1 p.m. | Away | Trevecca Nazarene | Nashville, Tenn. |
| September 1 | 5 p.m. | Neutral | Lynn | Nashville, Tenn. |
| September 2 | 9 a.m. | Neutral | Alabama Huntsville | Nashville, Tenn. |
| September 2 | 3 p.m. | Neutral | Carson-Newman | Nashville, Tenn. |
| September 8 | 2 p.m. (CDT) | Neutral | Embry-Riddle | St. Augustine, Fla. |
| September 8 | 6:30 p.m. (CDT) | Away | Flagler | St. Augustine, Fla. |
| September 9 | 10 a.m. (CDT) | Neutral | Converse | St. Augustine, Fla. |
| September 9 | 4 p.m. (CDT) | Neutral | Missouri Southern | St. Augustine, Fla. |
| September 15 | 11:30 a.m. | Neutral | Harding | Lebanon, Ill. |
| September 15 | 4:30 p.m. | Neutral | Maryville | Lebanon, Ill. |
| September 16 | 11:30 a.m. | Neutral | Illinois Springfield | Lebanon, Ill. |
| September 16 | 4:30 p.m. | Away | McKendree | Lebanon, Ill. |
| September 22 | 6 p.m. | Home | William Jewell | St. Louis, Mo. |
| September 23 | 3 p.m. | Home | Rockhurst | St. Louis, Mo. |
| September 30 | 3 p.m. | Home | McKendree | St. Louis, Mo. |
| October 6 | 5 p.m. (CDT) | Away | Indianapolis | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| October 7 | 3 p.m. | Away | Lewis | Romeoville, Ill. |
| October 13 | TBA | Neutral | Midwest Region Crossover | Hammond, Ind. |
| October 14 | TBA | Neutral | Midwest Region Crossover | Hammond, Ind. |
| October 20 | 6 p.m. | Home | Missouri S&T | St. Louis, Mo. |
| October 21 | 3 p.m. | Home | Maryville | St. Louis, Mo. |
| October 27 | 6 p.m. | Away | Upper Iowa | Fayette, Iowa |
| October 28 | 3 p.m. | Away | Truman State | Kirksville, Mo. |
| November 3 | 6 p.m. | Home | Illinois Springfield | St. Louis, Mo. |
| November 4) | 3 p.m. | Home | Quincy | St. Louis, Mo. |
| November 10 | 6 p.m. | Away | Drury | Springfield, Mo. |
| November 11 | 1 p.m. | Away | Southwest Baptist | Bolivar, Mo. |
| November 17 | Neutral | GLVC Tournament | East Peoria, Ill. |