Burnsville, Minn. – The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference released Thursday the 2017 Preseason Volleyball Coaches Poll, with the Northern State Wolves picked eighth overall in the league with 133 points. Concordia-St. Paul was picked to top the league with ten total first place votes.
 
Northern enters the 2017 season with seven players from the 2016 roster, as well as seven newcomers. The Wolves remained in the AVCA Top-25 Poll throughout the 2016 season, finishing the year ranked No. 21 overall. They tallied 11 games against Top-25 opponents with wins over No. 5 Western Washington and No. 4 Wayne State. With just three seniors in 2016, two of which had seen little time previously, the Wolves relied on their younger players to step up. Holly Vancura appeared in all 28 matches in 2016, leading the team with 319 kills. She also recorded a team second best 332 digs. Ashley Rozell quickly became comfortable in the starting setter role, earning NSIC Player of the Week honors and leading the team with 1,224 assists. She also recorded a team leading 42 service aces. She was nabbed as the Northern State player to watch in just her second season with the Wolves.
 
Freshmen Jaiden Langlie and Jenna Reiff also saw significant time, appearing in all 28 matches. Reiff hit .250 on the outside as a freshman, while Langlie averaged 3.76 digs per set with a team leading 387 as the libero. Hailey Busch returns to the NSU sidelines after appearing in 82 sets as a freshman with 167 kills. The Wolves will look to Busch as a leader on the outside. Northern opens the season on the road at the Oredigger Classic, before returning home for the Max & Erma's Classic from the Barnett Center on September 8-9.
 
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 ( )