GLVC preseason polls: QU volleyball team in top four, soccer teams both in bottom half of league

QUINCY — Expectations remain high for the Quincy University women’s volleyball team, while the Hawks have something to prove in men’s and women’s soccer.

The Great Lakes Valley Conference released its fall preseason coaches polls this week with the volleyball team still earning respect after winning the league’s regular-season championship last fall and grabbing the No. 1 seed for the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional.

The Hawks were tied for fourth with Missouri S&T in the 14-team poll. Quincy received one first-place vote. Missouri-St. Louis, which won the GLVC Tournament and the Midwest Regional, was the No. 1 team with 10 first-place votes. Lewis was second with three first-place votes.

Quincy went 28-3 last season and 11-1 in the GLVC behind a pair of All-Americans in setter Makyala Knoblauch and outside hitter Mattison Norris.

The Hawks return two first-team All-GLVC selections in junior outside hitter Emma Winjbergen and sophomore middle blocker Alice Pavan, who was named the GLVC Freshman of the Year.

The volleyball team opens its season Sept. 1 against Tiffin in the Texas A&M-Kingsville Invitational in Kingsville, Texas.

In the soccer polls, the QU women were picked ninth in the 14-team league, while the men were picked 11th. Maryville was picked to win the league in both polls with the Saints receiving nine first-place votes in the men’s poll and eight in the women’s poll.

The QU women are coming off a 2-7-7 season in Mackenzie Schissel’s first year as head coach. The Hawks were 2-5-5 in the GLVC. They scored just 11 goals in 16 games with sophomore forward Ella Wolfard the top returning scorer with three goals.

The Hawks open their season on the road, facing Davenport at 3 p.m. Sept. 1 in Grand Rapids, Mich.

The men went 3-11-3 overall and 1-10-1 in the GLVC. They return only one of their top three scorers and will need to shore up the defense after allowing 46 goals last season, which was the second most in the GLVC with Southwest Baptist allowing 48.

The QU men open their season against Wisconsin-Parkside at 2 p.m. August 31 at Legends Stadium.