9/1/17: Cornell upsets #3 WUSTL

Trinity (Texas) Invite
#1 Calvin, #6 Cal Lutheran, #14 Trinity (Texas), #23 UW-Oshkosh, Whitman
#1 Calvin 3, #23 UW-Oshkosh 1; #6 Cal Lutheran 3, #23 UW-Oshkosh 0; #14 Trinity (Texas) 3, Whitman 0; #1 Calvin 3, #14 Trinity (Texas) 0; #6 Cal Lutheran 3, Whitman 0.

Wittenberg Invite
#2 Emory, #11 Wittenberg, Illinois Wesleyan, Johns Hopkins
#2 Emory 3, Johns Hopkins 1; #11 Wittenberg 3, Illinois Wesleyan 1.

Washington-St. Louis Invite
#3 Washington-St. Louis, #15 Hope, #20 Hendrix, Cornell, Dominican, Webster, Rose-Hulman
#15 Hope 3, Webster 2; Cornell 3, Webster 0; Dominican 3, #20 Hendrix 0; #3 Washington-St. Louis 3, Rose-Hulman 0; #15 Hope 3, Dominican 1; Cornell 3, #3 Washington-St. Louis 1; Rose-Hulman 3, #20 Hendrix 1.

Northwestern Tourney
#4 Northwestern, UW-Stevens Point, Loras, Concordia (Minn.), Buena Vista, St. Scholastica
#4 Northwestern 3, Loras 0; St. Scholastica 3, Concordia (Minn.) 1; UW-Stevens Point 3, Buena Vista 1; Loras 3, St. Scholastica 1; Concordia (Minn.) 3, Buena Vista 2; #4 Northwestern 3, UW-Stevens Point 1.

UC Santa Cruz Tourney
#5 Southwestern, #21 Elmhurst, UC Santa Cruz, Western New England, Mills
#5 Southwestern 3, Mills 0; #5 Southwestern 3, #21 Elmhurst 0; #21 Elmhurst 3, Western New England 0.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps/Pomona-Pitzer/La Verne Classic
#7 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, #8 Texas Dallas, #17 Millikin, #25 La Verne, UW-Eau Claire, Bethel, Brockport, Chapman, Pomona-Pitzer, Occidental, Texas Lutheran, Union (N.Y.), Redlands, Massachusetts College
Bethel 3, Chapman 1; Bethel 3, Pomona-Pitzer 1; #17 Millikin 3, Brockport 0; UW-Eau Claire 3, Massachusetts College 0; #17 Millikin 3, #7 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 1; #7 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 3, Brockport 0; #25 La Verne 3, #8 Texas Dallas 2; #8 Texas Dallas 3, Pomona-Pitzer 0; #25 La Verne 3, UW-Eau Claire 2.

Colorado College Classic
#9 Colorado College, Augustana, Ithaca, Berry, Whittier
#9 Colorado College 3, Whittier 0; Berry 3, Augustana 0; Ithaca 3, Augustana 0; #9 Colorado College 3, Ithaca 1.

Coe Invite
#12 UW-Whitewater, #18 UW-La Crosse, Coe, St. Norbert, Westminster (Mo.), UW-Platteville, Grinnell, Northland
Coe 3, Northland 0; UW-Platteville 3, Westminster (Mo.) 1; #18 UW-La Crosse 3, St. Norbert 0; Coe 3, St. Norbert 1; #12 UW-Whitewater 3, Grinnell 0; #12 UW-Whitewater 3, Westminster (Mo.) 0; #18 UW-La Crosse 3, Grinnell 1; UW-Platteville 3, Northland 0.

Oregon Trail Classic
#24 Gustavus Adolphus, Augsburg, Whitworth, Linfield, Willamette, Olivet, Lewis & Clark, George Fox, Schreiner, Montana Western
#24 Gustavus Adolphus 3, Willamette 0; Augsburg 3, Willamette 0; #24 Gustavus Adolphus 3, Lewis & Clark 0; Augsburg 3, Lewis & Clark 1.

Puget Sound Premiere
St. Thomas, Edgewood, Saint Benedict, Pacific Lutheran, Clarkson, Puget Sound
Puget Sound 3, Edgewood 0, Pacific Lutheran 3, St. Thomas 0; Clarkson 3, Saint Benedict 1; Puget Sound 3, Saint Benedict 1; Pacific Lutheran 3, Edgewood 0; St. Thomas 3, Clarkson 0.

Saint Mary’s (Minn.) Classic
Chicago, Carthage, Luther, Saint Mary’s (Minn.), Minnesota Morris, UW-Stout, Central, Ripon
Minnesota Morris 3, Saint Mary’s (Minn.) 0; Ripon 3, Central 2; Carthage 3, UW-Stout 1; Chicago 3, Luther 2; Saint Mary’s (Minn.) 3, UW-Stout 0; Carthage 3, Central 0; Minnesota Morris 3, Chicago 2.

Bluffton Tourney
Wheaton (Ill.), Heidelberg, DePauw, Hanover, Bluffton, Adrian, Kalamazoo
Wheaton (Ill.) 3, Kalamazoo 2; Heidelberg 3, Wheaton (Ill.) 0.

Lake Forest Invite
Aurora, Dubuque, Lake Forest, MSOE, Finlandia, Manchester
Lake Forest 3, Manchester 1; Dubuque 3, Aurora 0; Aurora 3, Finlandia 0; Manchester 3, MSOE 1; MSOE 3, Lake Forest 2; Dubuque 3, Finlandia 0.

Carleton/St. Olaf Invite
Hamline, Carleton, UW-River Falls, St. Olaf, Martin Luther, Macalester, Carroll, Bethany Lutheran, Crown, North Central (Minn.), Valley City St.
St. Olaf 3, North Central (Minn.) 0; St. Olaf 3, Martin Luther 0; Hamline 3, North Central (Minn.) 0; UW-River Falls 3, Bethany Lutheran 0; Valley City St. 3, Martin Luther 0; Macalester 3, Bethany Lutheran 1; Carroll 3, Macalester 1; Valley City St. 3, Carroll 0; UW-River Falls 3, Hamline 1; Carleton 3, Crown 0.

Otterbein/Capital Tourney
North Park, Otterbein, Capital, Saint Mary’s (Ind.), Washington & Jefferson
North Park 3, Washington & Jefferson 1.

Concordia Wisconsin Tourney
Concordia Wisconsin, Concordia Chicago, Concordia Texas, Concordia Ann Arbor
Concordia Chicago 3, Concordia Texas 2; Concordia Wisconsin 3, Concordia Ann Arbor 0.

Illinois College Tourney
Greenville, Illinois College, Fontbonne, Knox, MacMurray, Blackburn, Trine, Anderson, Earlham, Culver-Stockton
Illinois College 3, Fontbonne 0; Greenville 3, Anderson 0; Trine 3, MacMurray 0; Culver-Stockton 3, MacMurray 0; Blackburn 3, Knox 2; Greenville 3, Earlham 2; Illinois College 3, Blackburn 0; Earlham 3, Fontbonne 0; Culver-Stockton 3, Knox 0.

Virginia Wesleyan Invite
St. Catherine, Benedictine, Randolph-Macon, Marymount, Cabrini, Virginia Wesleyan, Goucher
Virginia Wesleyan 3, St. Catherine 0; Randolph-Macon 3, St. Catherine 0; Marymount 3, Benedictine 0; Virginia Wesleyan 3, Benedictine 0.

Beloit Blast
UW-Superior, Wisconsin Lutheran, Beloit, Rockford
UW-Superior 3, Beloit 2; Beloit 3, Rockford 0; Wisconsin Lutheran 3, UW-Superior 2; Wisconsin Lutheran 3, Rockford 1.

Kean Invite
Nebraska Wesleyan, New York University, Johnson & Wales, New Paltz, Kean, Albion
Johnson & Wales 3, Nebraska Wesleyan 0; Nebraska Wesleyan 3, New York University 1.

Austin Classic
Lawrence, Austin, McMurry, Sul Ross St., Howard Payne, Centenary (La.), Paul Quinn
Austin 3, Lawrence 1; Lawrence 3, Sul Ross St. 1.

Faith Baptist Spikefest
Maranatha Baptist, Faith Baptist, Manhattan Christian, Trinity Bible, Ozark Christian, Randall, Barclay
Maranatha Baptist 3, Manhattan Christian 0; Maranatha Baptist 3, Barclay 0.

Music City Tri
Wartburg, Lakeland, Huntingdon
Wartburg 3, Lakeland 0; Lakeland 3, Huntingdon 0.

Nonconference
Ramapo 3, Simpson 1 SC had 61 kills.
Bridgewater 3, Simpson 2 Set 5 ended 17-15.
Lincoln Christian 3, Monmouth 1 LCU is NAIA.
Marian 3, Mount Mary 1 MU’s Schrauth had 7 kills, 7 aces, 11 digs.
Alverno 3, Mount Mary 0 AC’s Wewers hit 13-1-16 with 5 blocks.

Top 25 upset watch
#13 Juniata 3, SUNY Cortland 1
#13 Juniata 3, Vassar 0
#22 Ohio Northern 3, Case Western Reserve 1
#22 Ohio Northern 3, Ohio Wesleyan 1

-Ricky Nelson

2017 preseason conference polls

Listed below are the preseason favorites, according to Central and Midwest region conference polls. Links are to conference poll releases. My picks, if different, are in parentheses.

CCIW: Millikin (Illinois Wesleyan)
IIAC: Wartburg (Luther)
MIAC: Gustavus Adolphus
MWC: Cornell (St. Norbert)
NACC: Concordia Wisconsin
SLIAC: Greenville
UMAC: Northwestern
WIAC: UW-Whitewater

The UAA has not done preseason polls traditionally.

-Ricky Nelson

Defending champs enter 2017 atop AVCA poll

Defending champion Calvin is the top-ranked team in AVCA’s 2017 preseason poll. The Knights received 62 of 63 number-one votes in claiming the No. 1 ranking.

Emory received the remaining first-place vote and lists second in the poll followed by Washington-St. Louis — last year’s runner-up — in third, Northwestern in fourth and Southwestern in fifth.

Rounding out the AVCA’s top 10 are Cal Lutheran, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Colorado College, Mary Washington and Texas Dallas.

Other Central and Midwest region teams in the AVCA’s preseason top 25: No. 12 UW-Whitewater; No. 17 Millikin; No. 18 UW-La Crosse; No. 21 Elmhurst; No. 23 UW-Oshkosh; No. 24 Gustavus Adolphus.

Central and Midwest region teams receiving votes: Illinois Wesleyan; Chicago; UW-Stevens Point; St. Thomas; Wartburg; Bethel; UW-Eau Claire.

My top 10 had Wittenberg, Gustavus Adolphus, Chicago, Illinois Wesleyan and Trinity (Texas) instead of Southwestern, Cal Lutheran, Colorado College, Mary Washington and Texas Dallas.

-Ricky Nelson