ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Illinois State junior opposite Ruth Ziegler has been named to the Missouri Valley Conference preseason All-Conference Team, as the Redbirds were picked to finish sixth in the poll conducted of the 11 MVC head coaches.
Ziegler, who had 219 kills to lead all ISU returners, had a .248 attack percentage on the season to go with 53 blocks and 247 total points. The Gurnee, Illinois, native, earned MVC All-Tournament honors last season for ISU.
The Redbirds – who finished 14-16 last season – return seven key student-athletes from last years' squad including Ziegler and Logan Grevengoed the latter of which had 136 kills and 69 blocks last season, while also bringing back outside hitters Oliwia Caputa and Abby Reck who had 146 and 50 kills, respectively. The squad also returns defensive specialist Madison Smith, who played in nine sets before an injury, and both setters from last year in Ella Craggs (671 assists) and Audrey Clark (475 assists).
Bolstering the seven returners is a strong group of newcomers including transfers Emilija Arsic (outside hitter, Univ. of San Francisco), Jillian Gregory (outside hitter, Univ. of Wyoming), Addisyn Pohl (middle blocker, Univ. of Houston), Peyton Turner (libero, UTSA), and Ayla Klingenberg (middle blocker, Southeast Louisiana); and a strong freshman class consisting of Ella Kohnen (setter, West Bend, Wis.), Sidney Wright (middle blocker, St. Charles, Ill.), Ellia Burr (libero, Encinitas, Calif.), Alaina Kraemer (opposite, Prairie du Sac, Wis.), and Jillian Ferrill (outside hitter, Goodrich, Mich.).
