Volleyball: Hawks picked third in GLVC West poll

The Rockhurst Hawks have been picked to finish third in the Great Lakes Valley Conference West Division in the preseason poll of league coaches.

Head coach Tracy Rietzke returns nine letterwinners from a team that finished 16-15 overall and was 9-9 in GLVC play last season, qualifying for the GLVC Tournament for the seventh consecutive year.

Rockhurst opens the 2012 season at the Pittsburg State Classic on Aug. 31-Sept. 1 in Pittsburg, Kan. The Hawks begin conference play at Drury on Sept. 14.

The GLVC regular season will feature two divisions in 2012 with the top three teams from each side and two wild cards earning a berth to the eight-team GLVC Volleyball Tournament on Nov. 16-18.

Indianapolis, which won the 2011 GLVC Championship, finished on top of the East poll with 119 points. Lewis earned 105 points and two first-place votes to finish second. Southern Indiana (91) placed third, while Wisconsin-Parkside (73), Bellarmine (70), Saint Joseph’s (44), McKendree (38) and Kentucky Wesleyan (28) rounded out the East.

Missouri S&T was awarded 12 first-place votes to lead the GLVC West Division poll. Missouri-St. Louis finished second in the West voting with 103 total points and four first-place votes, followed by Rockhurst with 80 points. The Hawks were followed in the poll by Quincy (76), Drury (70), William Jewell (56), Maryville (39) and Illinois Springfield (28).

The annual GLVC/GLIAC Crossover Tournament will be held at the Great Lakes Center in Aurora, Ill. on Oct. 12-13.