For the 14th consecutive season the Concordia University, St. Paul Golden Bears have been picked by the league coaches in the NSIC Preseason Volleyball Poll.
The Golden Bears are coming off a season in which they won a share of the NSIC regular season title, the NSIC Tournament Championship and the NCAA National Championship (their eighth in the last ten years). CSP received 10 first place votes to tally 218 points.
Southwest Minnesota State, which shared the NSIC regular season title with CSP last year, was picked second as the Mustangs received 202 points and three first place votes. Minnesota Duluth was picked third in the poll with 201 points and a pair of first place votes while Augustana was fourth with 172 points and one first place vote.
The 2017 NSIC Volleyball season will begin with non-conference matches on Thursday, August 31 while the NSIC schedule begins Thursday, September 14. The 2017 NSIC regular season champion will be determined by the 20-game conference schedule. The top eight teams will play in the single elimination NSIC Volleyball Tournament on November 15, 18-19. Quarterfinals will be hosted on campus by the top four seeds while the semifinals and championship will be hosted by the highest remaining seed following the first round of play.
2017 NSIC Volleyball Preseason Poll Points
1. Concordia-St. Paul (10) 218
2. Southwest Minnesota State (3) 202
3. Minnesota Duluth (2) 201
4. Augustana (1) 172
5. Winona State 171
6. Wayne State 157
7. Sioux Falls 146
8. Northern State 133
9. Minnesota State 113
10. MSU Moorhead 77
11. Upper Iowa 74
12. Minnesota Crookston 71
13. St. Cloud State 70
14. UMary 54
15. Bemidji State 46
16. Minot State 15
first place votes in ( )
