Volleyball Picked Second in OAC Preseason Coaches Poll

(AUSTINTOWN, OH)--Mount Union College's volleyball team was picked to finish second in the Ohio Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll.

The Purple Raiders received a pair of first place votes and with 69 points were 11 points behind preseason favorite Ohio Northern University.  Ohio Northern got the other eight first place votes and had 80 points overall.  The Polar Bears won the OAC regular season title for a ninth straight season and a fourth straight OAC Tournament title in 2008.

Heidelberg University was four points behind Mount Union with 65 points, while Capital University (57 points) and Muskingum University (50 points) round out the top five.

"We appreciate the respect from the coaches in our conference," stated Mount Union head coach Leigh Ann Matesich.  "We take nothing for granted though, the OAC is very competitive conference and we know we have to work hard every set to meet expectations."

Mount Union has seen each of its last three seasons end in the OAC Tournament semifinals so the Purple Raiders feel like they have some unfinished business in 2009.

Matesich enters her fourth season as head coach with the most experienced lineup she has ever had with the return of all six starters and nine letterwinners.

Headlining the returners are seniors Melissa Mahnke (North Royalton/North Royalton) and Sarah Parker (Geneva/Geneva).  The duo are each two-time All-OAC selections as Mahnke led the team in kills and service aces while Parker topped the team in blocks (96) and hitting percentage.

Sophomore Julie Radigan (Olmsted Falls/Olmsted Falls) who had over 1,000 assists and earned All-OAC honors as a freshman along with senior Nicole Baka (Streetsboro/Streetsboro), juniors Sarah Dean (Strongsville/Walsh Jesuit), Leah Hirsch (Washington Courthouse/Adena), Elyse Perry (Springfield/Springfield Shawnee) and Roni Schroeder (Shelby/Shelby) and Michelle Simmons (Uniontown/Green) round out the list of returning letterwinners.

The Raiders begin the season Sept. 1, at home against Malone University before hosting the Mount Union Invitational the weekend of Sept. 4-5.