BU ranked No. 17 in NAIA Pre-Season Poll
The Bellevue University volleyball team, under head coach Trish Siedlik, enters the 2021 season at No. 17 in the NAIA Women's Volleyball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll announced today. Defending national champion Missouri Baptist is ranked No. 1 in the poll.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Bellevue University volleyball team, under head coach Trish Siedlik, enters the 2021 season at No. 17 in the NAIA Women's Volleyball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll announced today. Defending national champion Missouri Baptist is ranked No. 1 in the poll.
The Bruins return 12 letterwinners and five starters from last season's squad that won the North Star Athletic Association regular-season title for the first time in school history, advancing to the NAIA National Tournament for the 13th time.
Leading the way for BU will be junior first-team All-American setter Olivia Galas, the NSAA's reigning co-Player of the Year as well as the NAIA's National Setter of the Year. Third-team All-American outside hitter Eve Fountain returns after being named the NSAA and North Central Region Freshman of the Year. Other top returners include junior outside hitter Sierra Athen (all-NSAA, all-Region, 2019 second-team All-American) and freshman rightside hitter Jacki Apel (second team all-NSAA).
Conference rival Viterbo University enters the pre-season poll at No. 13.
The NSAA postseason tournament's champion will receive an automatic bid to the NAIA Volleyball National Tournament, which is scheduled to open on Nov. 20 at campus sites.
The national tournament's opening round winners will move on to the final site at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. The final site of the national tournament opens with the pool play action on the first two days on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, followed by single-elimination bracket play starting on Dec. 2. The championship match is scheduled for Dec. 4.
Bellevue will open the 2021 season at the Big Sky Challenge on Aug. 19-20 in Butte, Mont. The Bruins will host the 26-team GoSarpy.com Labor Day Classic on Sept. 2-4. Aside from the NAIA National Tournament, it is the single largest tournament in the country and features eight teams either ranked in the top 25 poll or receiving votes.
Never shying away from tough competition, the Bruins will battle 12 ranked teams in the 2021 schedule.