Aug. 13, 2009
ST. LOUIS -
The Illinois State volleyball team was picked seventh in the 2009 Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, as announced by the league office Thursday. Senior outside hitter Peggy Riessen was chosen as a Preseason All-Valley selection.
"The Valley is a very competitive conference and no matter where we are picked to start the season, we need to focus one day at a time on improving as a team and program," said head coach Melissa Myers.
Wichita State was picked to win the Valley with 99 votes, including nine of the 10 first-place votes. Missouri State received the other first-place vote and was picked second with 87 votes. Northern Iowa (83), Creighton (67), Southern Illinois (49) and Evansville (47) rounded out the teams projected to qualify for the State Farm MVC Tournament. ISU received 42 votes, followed by Drake (33), Bradley (24) and Indiana State (19).
Riessen was one of eight players named to the Preseason All-Valley team and the only one on a team that was not picked in the top-four of the league. A first-team All-Valley pick last year, Riessen led the Redbirds in kills (410), kills per set (3.63) and points (448.5). She also logged 403 digs and 33 blocks. She had double-digit kills in 19 matches, including six 20-kill efforts.
Mary Elizabeth Hooper, Sarah McGee and Emily Stockman of Wichita State, Cara Hackmann and Calli Norman of Missouri State, Creighton's Jessica Houts and Northern Iowa's Shannon Aschoff were the other Preseason All-Valley selections.
The Redbirds open the 2009 season by hosting the annual Redbird Classic. ISU faces Gardner-Webb Friday, Aug. 28, at 7:05 p.m.
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