Volleyball opens season ranked No. 19

NAIA Release

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Bellevue University volleyball team opens the 2012 season ranked No. 19 in the Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll announced today.

Texas at Brownsville enters 2012 as the top-ranked team after capturing the 2011 NAIA Volleyball National Championship last season.

The Bruins return 10 letterwinners and three starters from last year's team that finished with a 29-7 overall record, advancing to the NAIA National Tournament for the fifth-consecutive season after capturing the MCAC Tournament title. The Bruins finished the 2011 season with a No. 25 final national ranking.

Highlighting BU's returnees is three-time all-MCAC and two-time NAIA honorable mention All-American senior setter Jordan Broady. Broady led the Bruins with 10 double-doubles and was named the MCAC Setter of the Week on nine occasions. She directed the BU offense with 1,421 assists and was third on the team with 288 digs.

The Bruins added one transfer and two freshman to the 2012 team. Sophomore middle blocker Andi Umbarger transferred to BU from Neosho County Community College where she tallied 193 kills, 95 blocks and a .276 hitting percentage. Freshmen Beth Walker and Symone Faulkner join the Bruins after standout careers at the high school level.

Head coach Trish Siedlik is in her seventh season at the helm of the Bellevue University volleyball program in 2012 and has taken the Bruins to the NAIA National Tournament each of the past five seasons. She has a 182-60 (.752) record in six seasons at BU and a 306-81 (.791) career record in 10 seasons as a collegiate head coach.

BU opens the season on Aug. 24-25 when it travels to Orange City, Iowa for the Red Raider Classic hosted by Northwestern (Iowa) College. The Bruins will make their home debut when they host the Bruin Labor Day Classic on Aug. 31-Sept. 1.