Predicting Pool A winners: 2014 edition

This is my fourth season of predicting each Pool A conference winner. I count it as a success if my predicted champion wins the regular season and/or the tournament. Tell me where I’m wrong with my 2014 predictions.

Past season predictions:
2011: 31-of-42
2012: 30-of-42
2013: 36-of-43

Links below are to each conference’s women’s volleyball page.

Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference
2010 regular season champ: Pitt-Bradford
2010 tournament champ: Pitt-Bradford
2011 predicted champion: Penn State Altoona
2011 regular season champ: Penn State Altoona
2011 tournament champ: Penn State Altoona
2012 predicted champion: Medaille
2012 regular season champ: Penn State Behrend
2012 tournament champ: Medaille
2013 predicted champion: Penn State Behrend
2013 regular season champ: Penn State Behrend
2013 tournament champ: Penn State Behrend
2014 predicted champion: Penn State Behrend

American Southwest Conference
2010 regular season champ: Texas Lutheran, Hardin-Simmons (West); Texas Dallas (East)
2010 tournament champ: Hardin-Simmons
2011 predicted champion: Hardin-Simmons (West), Texas-Dallas (East)
2011 regular season champ: McMurry (West), Texas Dallas (East)
2011 tournament champ: Hardin-Simmons
2012 predicted champion: Hardin-Simmons (West), Texas Dallas (East)
2012 regular season champ: Hardin-Simmons (West), Texas Dallas (East)
2012 tournament champ: Hardin-Simmons
2013 predicted champion: Hardin-Simmons
2013 regular season champ: Texas Dallas
2013 tournament champ: Hardin-Simmons
2014 predicted champion: Texas Dallas

Capital Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: Frostburg
2010 tournament champ: Frostburg
2011 predicted champion: Mary Washington (3rd in regular season, 3rd in tournament)
2011 regular season champ: Salisbury
2011 tournament champ: Salisbury
2012 predicted champion: Salisbury
2012 regular season champ: Salisbury
2012 tournament champ: Salisbury
2013 predicted champion: Christopher Newport
2013 regular season champ: Christopher Newport
2013 tournament champ: Christopher Newport
2014 predicted champion: Christopher Newport

Centennial Conference
2010 regular season champ: Haverford
2010 tournament champ: Franklin & Marshall
2011 predicted champion: Johns Hopkins
2011 regular season champ: Johns Hopkins
2011 tournament champ: Johns Hopkins
2012 predicted champion: Franklin & Marshall
2012 regular season champ: Franklin & Marshall, Johns Hopkins
2012 tournament champ: Johns Hopkins
2013 predicted champion: Johns Hopkins
2013 regular season champ: Franklin & Marshall
2013 tournament champ: Johns Hopkins
2014 predicted champion: Franklin & Marshall

City University of New York Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: Hunter
2010 tournament champ: Hunter
2011 predicted champion: Hunter
2011 regular season champ: Hunter
2011 tournament champ: Baruch
2012 predicted champion: Baruch
2012 regular season champ: Baruch
2012 tournament champ: Baruch
2013 predicted champion: Baruch
2013 regular season champ: Baruch
2013 tournament champ: Baruch
2014 predicted champion: Baruch

College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
2010 regular season champ: Millikin
2010 tournament champ: Carthage
2011 predicted champion: Carthage
2011 regular season champ: Carthage
2011 tournament champ: Carthage
2012 predicted champion: Elmhurst
2012 regular season champ: Elmhurst
2012 tournament champ: Elmhurst
2013 predicted champion: Elmhurst
2013 regular season champ: Elmhurst
2013 tournament champ: Elmhurst
2014 predicted champion: Millikin

Colonial States Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: Cabrini
2010 tournament champ: Cabrini
2011 predicted champion: Neumann (2nd in regular season, 2nd in tournament)
2011 regular season champ: Cabrini
2011 tournament champ: Cabrini
2012 predicted champion: Cabrini (2nd in regular season, 2nd in tournament)
2012 regular season champ: Neumann
2012 tournament champ: Neumann
2013 predicted champion: Cabrini
2013 regular season champ: Cabrini
2013 tournament champ: Cabrini
2014 predicted champion: Cabrini

Commonwealth Coast Conference
2010 regular season champ: Roger Williams
2010 tournament champ: Roger Williams
2011 predicted champion: Roger Williams
2011 regular season champ: Roger Williams
2011 tournament champ: Roger Williams
2012 predicted champion: Roger Williams
2012 regular season champ: Roger Williams
2012 tournament champ: Roger Williams
2013 predicted champion: Roger Williams
2013 regular season champ: Roger Williams, Salve Regina
2013 tournament champ: Roger Williams
2014 predicted champion: Salve Regina

Commonwealth Conference
2010 regular season champ: Elizabethtown
2010 tournament champ: Lebanon Valley
2011 predicted champion: Elizabethtown (5th in regular season, DNP in tournament)
2011 regular season champ: Messiah
2011 tournament champ: Lebanon Valley
2012 predicted champion: Messiah (2nd in regular season, 2nd in tournament)
2012 regular season champ: Stevenson
2012 tournament champ: Stevenson
2013 predicted champion: Stevenson
2013 regular season champ: Stevenson
2013 tournament champ: Stevenson
2014 predicted champion: Stevenson

Empire 8
2010 regular season champ: Ithaca
2010 tournament champ: Ithaca
2011 predicted champion: Ithaca (5th in regular season, DNP in tournament)
2011 regular season champ: Elmira
2011 tournament champ: Nazareth
2012 predicted champion: Elmira
2012 regular season champ: Elmira, Stevens
2012 tournament champ: Nazareth
2013 predicted champion: Stevens
2013 regular season champ: Stevens
2013 tournament champ: Nazareth
2014 predicted champion: Nazareth

Freedom Conference
2010 regular season champ: Eastern
2010 tournament champ: Eastern
2011 predicted champion: Eastern
2011 regular season champ: Eastern
2011 tournament champ: Eastern
2012 predicted champion: Eastern
2012 regular season champ: Eastern
2012 tournament champ: Eastern
2013 predicted champion: Eastern
2013 regular season champ: Eastern
2013 tournament champ: Eastern
2014 predicted champion: Eastern

Great Northeast Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: Johnson & Wales
2010 tournament champ: Johnson & Wales
2011 predicted champion: Rivier
2011 regular season champ: Emerson
2011 tournament champ: Rivier
2012 predicted champion: Rivier
2012 regular season champ: Rivier
2012 tournament champ: Emerson
2013 predicted champion: Rivier
2013 regular season champ: Rivier
2013 tournament champ: Rivier
2014 predicted champion: Rivier

Great South Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: Huntingdon
2010 tournament champ: Piedmont
2011 predicted champion: Huntingdon (5th in regular season, 3rd in tournament)
2011 regular season champ: Maryville
2011 tournament champ: Maryville
2012 predicted champion: Agnes Scott (2nd in regular season, 3rd in tournament)
2012 regular season champ: Huntingdon
2012 tournament champ: Salem
2013 predicted champion: Salem
2013 regular season champ: Salem (nominally, as the No. 1 seed)
2013 tournament champ: Agnes Scott
2014 predicted champion: Agnes Scott

Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: Transylvania
2010 tournament champ: Mount St. Joseph
2011 predicted champion: Transylvania
2011 regular season champ: Rose-Hulman, Bluffton, Hanover, Transylvania, Mount St. Joseph
2011 tournament champ: Rose-Hulman
2012 predicted champion: Hanover (5th in regular season, 5th in tournament)
2012 regular season champ: Mount St. Joseph, Transylvania
2012 tournament champ: Mount St. Joseph
2013 predicted champion: Transylvania (2nd in regular season, 3rd in tournament)
2013 regular season champ: Defiance
2013 tournament champ: Bluffton
2014 predicted champion: Bluffton

Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: Loras
2010 tournament champ: Wartburg
2011 predicted champion: Wartburg (2nd in regular season, 3rd in tourament)
2011 regular season champ: Coe
2011 tournament champ: Cornell
2012 predicted champion: Wartburg
2012 regular season champ: Wartburg
2012 tournament champ: Wartburg
2013 predicted champion: Wartburg
2013 regular season champ: Wartburg
2013 tournament champ: Wartburg
2014 predicted champion: Coe

Landmark Conference
2010 regular season champ: Juniata
2010 tournament champ: Juniata
2011 predicted champion: Juniata
2011 regular season champ: Juniata
2011 tournament champ: Juniata
2012 predicted champion: Juniata
2012 regular season champ: Juniata
2012 tournament champ: Juniata
2013 predicted champion: Juniata
2013 regular season champ: Juniata
2013 tournament champ: Juniata
2014 predicted champion: Juniata

Liberty League
2012 regular season champ: Skidmore
2012 tourney champ: Clarkson
2013 predicted champ: Clarkson
2013 regular season champ: Clarkson
2013 tournament champ: Clarkson
2014 predicted champion: Clarkson

Little East Conference
2010 regular season champ: UMass Boston
2010 tournament champ: UMass Boston
2011 predicted champion: UMass Boston
2011 regular season champ: Plymouth State, UMass Boston
2011 tournament champ: UMass Boston
2012 predicted champion: UMass Boston
2012 regular season champ: UMass Boston, Western Connecticut State
2012 tournament champ: UMass Boston
2013 predicted champion: Western Connecticut State (4th in regular season, 3rd in tournament)
2013 regular season champ: UMass Boston
2013 tournament champ: UMass Boston
2014 predicted champion: UMass Boston

Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: Westfield State
2010 tournament champ: Westfield State
2011 predicted champion: Westfield State
2011 regular season champ: Westfield State
2011 tournament champ: Westfield State
2012 predicted champion: Framingham State
2012 regular season champ: Framingham State
2012 tournament champ: Framingham State
2013 predicted champion: Framingham State (2nd in regular season, 2nd in tournament)
2013 regular season champ: Westfield State
2013 tournament champ: Westfield State
2014 predicted champion: Framingham State

Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
2010 regular season champ: Hope
2010 tournament champ: Hope
2011 predicted champion: Calvin
2011 regular season champ: Calvin
2011 tournament champ: Calvin
2012 predicted champion: Hope (2nd in regular season, 2nd in tournament)
2012 regular season champ: Calvin
2012 tournament champ: Calvin
2013 predicted champion: Calvin
2013 regular season champ: Calvin, Hope
2013 tournament champ: Calvin
2014 predicted champion: Hope

Midwest Conference
2010 regular season champ: Monmouth
2010 tournament champ: Beloit
2011 predicted champion: St. Norbert
2011 regular season champ: St. Norbert
2011 tournament champ: St. Norbert
2012 predicted champion: St. Norbert (2nd in regular season, 2nd in tournament)
2012 regular season champ: Cornell
2012 tournament champ: Cornell
2013 predicted champion: Cornell
2013 regular season champ: Cornell
2013 tournament champ: Cornell
2014 predicted champion: Cornell

Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: St. Olaf
2010 tournament champ: St. Olaf
2011 predicted champion: Concordia-Moorhead
2011 regular season champ: Concordia-Moorhead, St. Thomas
2011 tournament champ: Concordia-Moorhead
2012 predicted champion: St. Thomas
2012 regular season champ: St. Thomas
2012 tournament champ: St. Thomas
2013 predicted champion: St. Thomas
2013 regular season champ: St. Thomas, Augsburg
2013 tournament champ: St. Thomas
2014 predicted champion: St. Thomas

New England Collegiate Conference
2010 regular season champ: Daniel Webster
2010 tournament champ: Lesley
2011 predicted champion: Daniel Webster (3rd in regular season, 3rd in tournament)
2011 regular season champ: Southern Vermont
2011 tournament champ: Southern Vermont
2012 predicted champion: Southern Vermont
2012 regular season champ: Southern Vermont
2012 tournament champ: Southern Vermont
2013 predicted champion: Southern Vermont
2013 regular season champ: Southern Vermont
2013 tournament champ: Southern Vermont
2014 predicted champion: Newbury

New England Small College Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: Amherst
2010 tournament champ: Middlebury
2011 predicted champion: Amherst (4th in regular season, 5th in tournament)
2011 regular season champ: Bowdoin
2011 tournament champ: Bowdoin
2012 predicted champion: Tufts (6th in regular season, 5th in tournament)
2012 regular season champ: Connecticut College, Middlebury, Bowdoin
2012 tournament champ: Middlebury
2013 predicted champion: Bowdoin (2nd in regular season, 2nd in tournament)
2013 regular season champ: Williams
2013 tournament champ: Williams
2014 predicted champion: Williams

New England Women’s and Men’s Athletics Conference
2010 regular season champ: Springfield
2010 tournament champ: Coast Guard
2011 predicted champion: Coast Guard
2011 regular season champ: Springfield, Coast Guard
2011 tournament champ: Springfield
2012 predicted champion: Coast Guard (4th in regular season, 3rd in tournament)
2012 regular season champ: Wellesley
2012 tournament champ: MIT
2013 predicted champion: Wellesley
2013 regular season champ: Springfield, Wellesley
2013 tournament champ: Springfield
2014 predicted champion: Springfield

New Jersey Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: Richard Stockton
2010 tournament champ: Richard Stockton
2011 predicted champion: Richard Stockton
2011 regular season champ: Richard Stockton
2011 tournament champ: Richard Stockton
2012 predicted champion: Richard Stockton
2012 regular season champ: Richard Stockton
2012 tournament champ: Richard Stockton
2013 predicted champion: Richard Stockton
2013 regular season champ: Richard Stockton
2013 tournament champ: Richard Stockton
2014 predicted champion: Richard Stockton

North Atlantic Conference
2010 regular season champ: Maine Maritime
2010 tournament champ: Maine Maritime
2011 predicted champion: Maine Maritime (2nd in regular season, 2nd in tournament)
2011 regular season champ: Colby-Sawyer
2011 tournament champ: Colby-Sawyer
2012 predicted champion: Maine Maritime (3rd in regular season, 2nd in tournament)
2012 regular season champ: Colby-Sawyer
2012 tournament champ: Colby-Sawyer
2013 predicted champion: Colby-Sawyer
2013 regular season champ: Colby-Sawyer
2013 tournament champ: Colby-Sawyer
2014 predicted champion: Colby-Sawyer

North Coast Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: Wittenberg
2010 tournament champ: Wittenberg
2011 predicted champion: Wittenberg
2011 regular season champ: Wittenberg
2011 tournament champ: Wittenberg
2012 predicted champion: Wittenberg
2012 regular season champ: Wittenberg
2012 tournament champ: Wittenberg
2013 predicted champion: Wittenberg
2013 regular season champ: Wittenberg
2013 tournament champ: Wittenberg
2014 predicted champion: Wittenberg

North Eastern Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: Keuka (North), Gallaudet (South)
2010 tournament champ: Gallaudet
2011 predicted champion: Gallaudet
2011 regular season champ: Penn State Berks
2011 tournament champ: Gallaudet
2012 predicted champion: Gallaudet
2012 regular season champ: Gallaudet
2012 tournament champ: Gallaudet
2013 predicted champion: Gallaudet
2013 regular season champ: Gallaudet, SUNYIT, Keuka
2013 tournament champ: Gallaudet
2014 predicted champion: Gallaudet

Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
2010 regular season champ: Concordia (Wis.)
2010 tournament champ: Dominican
2011 predicted champion: Edgewood
2011 regular season champ: Dominican
2011 tournament champ: Edgewood
2012 predicted champion: Dominican (3rd in regular season, 3rd in tournament)
2012 regular season champ: Edgewood, Benedictine
2012 tournament champ: Benedictine
2013 predicted champion: Benedictine (3rd in regular season, 3rd in tournament)
2013 regular season champ: Edgewood
2013 tournament champ: Dominican
2014 predicted champion: Dominican

Northwest Conference (no tourney)
2010 regular season champ: Whitworth
2011 predicted champion: Whitworth
2011 regular season champ: Whitworth
2012 predicted champion: Pacific Lutheran
2012 regular season champ: Pacific Lutheran
2013 predicted champion: Puget Sound (2nd in regular season)
2013 regular season champ: Pacific Lutheran
2014 predicted champion: Pacific Lutheran

Ohio Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: Heidelberg
2010 tournament champ: Heidelberg
2011 predicted champion: Heidelberg
2011 regular season champ: Heidelberg
2011 tournament champ: Mount Union
2012 predicted champion: Heidelberg (4th in regular season, 3rd in tournament)
2012 regular season champ: Mount Union
2012 tournament champ: Otterbein
2013 predicted champion: Mount Union
2013 regular season champ: Mount Union, Heidelberg
2013 tournament champ: Mount Union
2014 predicted champion: Mount Union

Old Dominion Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: Washington and Lee
2010 tournament champ: Randolph-Macon
2011 predicted champion: Washington and Lee
2011 regular season champ: Washington and Lee
2011 tournament champ: Randolph-Macon
2012 predicted champion: Randolph-Macon
2012 regular season champ: Randolph-Macon
2012 tournament champ: Washington and Lee
2013 predicted champion: Washington and Lee
2013 regular season champ: Washington and Lee, Randolph-Macon
2013 tournament champ: Washington and Lee
2014 predicted champion: Randolph-Macon

Presidents’ Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: Thomas More
2010 tournament champ: Thomas More
2011 predicted champion: Thomas More (3rd in regular season, 3rd in tournament)
2011 regular season champ: Geneva
2011 tournament champ: Geneva
2012 predicted champion: Geneva (4th in regular season, 5th in tournament)
2012 regular season champ: Thomas More
2012 tournament champ: Thomas More
2013 predicted champion: Thomas More
2013 regular season champ: Bethany
2013 tournament champ: Thomas More
2014 predicted champion: Bethany

Skyline Conference
2010 regular season champ: Mount Saint Mary
2010 tournament champ: NYU-Poly
2011 predicted champion: Mount Saint Mary
2011 regular season champ: Mount Saint Mary
2011 tournament champ: NYU-Poly
2012 predicted champion: Mount Saint Mary
2012 regular season champ: Mount Saint Mary
2012 tournament champ: Mount Saint Mary
2013 predicted champion: Sage
2013 regular season champ: Sage
2013 tournament champ: St. Joseph’s (Long Island)
2014 predicted champion: Sage

Southern Athletic Association
2013 regular season champion: Berry
2013 tournament champion: Berry
2014 predicted champion: Berry

Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: Cal Lutheran
2010 tournament champ: Cal Lutheran
2011 predicted champion: Occidental
2011 regular season champ: Cal Lutheran
2011 tournament champ: Occidental
2012 predicted champion: Cal Lutheran
2012 regular season champ: Cal Lutheran
2012 tournament champ: Cal Lutheran
2013 predicted champion: Cal Lutheran
2013 regular season champ: Cal Lutheran
2013 tournament champ: Cal Lutheran
2014 predicted champion: Pomona-Pitzer

Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: Colorado College
2010 tournament champ: Colorado College
2011 predicted champion: Southwestern
2011 regular season champ: Southwestern
2011 tournament champ: Colorado College
2012 predicted champion: Colorado College
2012 regular season champ: Colorado College, Trinity (Texas)
2012 tournament champ: Colorado College
2013 predicted champion: Trinity (Texas)
2013 regular season champ: Trinity (Texas)
2013 tournament champ: Trinity (Texas)
2014 predicted champion: Trinity (Texas)

St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: Greenville
2010 tournament champ: Greenville
2011 predicted champion: Greenville
2011 regular season champ: Webster, Greenville
2011 tournament champ: Webster
2012 predicted champion: Greenville
2012 regular season champ: Greenville, Webster
2012 tournament champ: Webster
2013 predicted champion: Webster
2013 regular season champ: Greenville
2013 tournament champ: Webster
2014 predicted champion: Webster

State University of New York Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: Cortland (East), Fredonia (West)
2010 tournament champ: Cortland
2011 predicted champion: Cortland (East), Fredonia (West)
2011 regular season champ: Cortland (East), Fredonia (West)
2011 tournament champ: Cortland
2012 predicted champion: Cortland (East), Fredonia (West)
2012 regular season champ: Cortland (East), Buffalo State (West)
2012 tournament champ: Cortland
2013 predicted champions: New Paltz State
2013 regular season champ: New Paltz State
2013 tournament champ: Buffalo State
2014 predicted champion: New Paltz State

University Athletic Association
2010 regular season champ: Emory
2010 tournament champ: Emory
2011 predicted champion: Emory
2011 regular season champ: Emory
2011 tournament champ: Washington-St. Louis
2012 predicted champion: Washington-St. Louis
2012 regular season champ: Emory, Chicago, Washington-St. Louis
2012 tournament champ: Emory
2013 predicted champion: Washington-St. Louis
2013 regular season champ: Chicago, Washington-St. Louis
2013 tournament champ: Chicago
2014 predicted champion: Emory

Upper Midwest Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: St. Scholastica
2010 tournament champ: Northwestern
2011 predicted champion: St. Scholastica
2011 regular season champ: St. Scholastica, Northwestern
2011 tournament champ: St. Scholastica
2012 predicted champion: St. Scholastica (2nd in regular season, 2nd in tournament)
2012 regular season champ: Northwestern
2012 tournament champ: Northwestern
2013 predicted champion: Northwestern
2013 regular season champ: Northwestern, Minnesota Morris
2013 tournament champ: Northwestern
2014 predicted champion: Northwestern

USA South Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: Christopher Newport
2010 tournament champ: Christopher Newport
2011 predicted champion: Christopher Newport
2011 regular season champ: Christopher Newport
2011 tournament champ: Christopher Newport
2012 predicted champion: Christopher Newport
2012 regular season champ: Christopher Newport
2012 tournament champ: Christopher Newport
2013 predicted champions: Averett (North); Maryville (South)
2013 regular season champ: Averett (North); Maryville (South)
2013 tournament champ: Maryville
2014 predicted champion: Averett (North); Maryville (South)

Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
2010 regular season champ: Wisconsin-Eau Claire
2010 tournament champ: Wisconsin-Platteville
2011 predicted champion: Wisconsin-Platteville (4th in regular season, 4th in tournament)
2011 regular season champ: UW-Stevens Point, UW-Whitewater, UW-Eau Claire
2011 tournament champ: Wisconsin-Whitewater
2012 predicted champion: Wisconsin-Stevens Point
2012 regular season champ: Wisconsin-Stevens Point
2012 tournament champ: Wisconsin-Eau Claire
2013 predicted champion: Wisconsin-Whitewater (3rd in regular season, 2nd in tournament)
2013 regular season champ: Wisconsin-Stevens Point
2013 tournament champ: Wisconsin-Stevens Point
2014 predicted champion: Wisconsin-Whitewater

-Ricky Nelson

Eureka announces new head coach

Jessica Brown is the new head coach at Eureka. Brown was most recently an assistant at Western Michigan.

As far as I know, Illinois College and Illinois Tech are the only Central or Midwest programs that have yet to announce their new head coach hires. IIT’s search was reopened within the last week, according to NCAA Market.

-Ricky Nelson

Pages updated for 2014

Pages on the right rail are ready to be populated during the 2014 season. Find the new pages and more on the right rail. Click around. There is enough info on that rail to last you awhile.

The 2014 Conference Tourneys page will have links and winners for all 44 Pool A postseason tournaments when the time comes.

The 2014 Last Team Standing page will track all D-III teams until we have a team that is the last to lose its first match.

The 2014 Standout Stats page will track the best of the best performances in the Central and Midwest regions. Players who record 10 blocks, 20 kills, 30 digs and/or 50 assists in a match this season will get an entry on that page.

I decided to scrap the Standings, Matchups page this season. I have a mammoth page that contains links to each D-III conference and team, so a separate standings page for the Central and Midwest regions is essentially redundant. While the top matches of the week in each conference will no longer be tracked, I will still give what I think are the top five matches overall each week along with my weekly top 10 like I always have.

Coming soon: my predicted winners for all 44 Pool A conferences and my preseason top 25.

-Ricky Nelson

8 Central, Midwest players among NCAA Woman of the Year nominees

Crown middle Sam Brueggeman, Wisconsin Lutheran outside Erin Greenfield, Wisconsin-Platteville middle Stephanie Kirchner, Lakeland libero Tess Myklebust, Wartburg setter Ramey Sieck, Northwestern setter Krista Stoltz, North Park outside Shelby Switzer, and Elmhurst middle Kaitlyn Wilks are among 446 initial nominees for the 2014 NCAA Woman of the Year award.

Of the 446 nominees, 166 competed in Division III.

From the release: The Woman of the Year award honors graduating female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership.

The NCAA encourages each member school to honor its top graduating female student-athletes each year by submitting their names for consideration for the Woman of the Year award.

Each conference then selects up to two women from the nominees to represent the conference. The Woman of the Year selection committee selects the top 30 honorees – 10 from each division – from the conference nominees.

From among those 30 candidates, the selection committee determines the top three in each division and announces the top nine finalists in September. The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics will then vote from among the finalists to determine the 2014 NCAA Woman of the Year.

The top 30 honorees will be honored, and the 2014 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced, at the annual ceremony in Indianapolis on Sunday, Oct. 19.

-Ricky Nelson

Dominican announces new head coach

Dominican announced Jeanne Czipri as its new head coach today. Czipri was most recently the head coach at Aurora (Ill.) Catholic Central High School.

-Ricky Nelson

Carthage, WUSTL win AVCA SID awards

The AVCA announced regional awards for sports information coverage. Carthage won the D-III Midwest award and Washington-St. Louis won the Central.

The 2013-14 Grant Burger Media Award — AVCA’s annual top media award — went to the Pac-12 Networks for television coverage.

MIAC assistant executive director Matt Higgins was a finalist for the Grant Burger Award.

I’ll win it one of these years. Kidding of course. Happy summer, all.

-Ricky Nelson