By Peyton Wright
If the history of the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Division III Preseason Coach’s Poll stays true to form, the Colorado College volleyball team is in prime position to compete for the DIII 2019 National Championship.
The Tigers were recently ranked seventh in the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s preseason poll for the Dlll level, and the team is excited for its upcoming season.
The program has been ranked 12 times; 11 of these have been consecutive.
With 19 women on this year’s roster — including five returning starters — the CC team boasts incredible potential.
Colorado College is led by four highly-decorated seniors.
Middle-hitter Marguerite Spaethling ’20 was named a second-team All-American, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year, and a first-team all-conference selection.
Setter Lizzy Counts ’20 earned third-team All-American honors, and was joined on the all-SCAC first team by outside hitter Haley Harris ’20.
Outside hitter Jordan Mullen was slowed by injuries last year, but the 2017 honorable mention All-American hopes to be back at full strength this season.
Last season, the team ended its prowl with a 32–3 record, 15 wins at home in a row, and the women appeared in the NCAA Dlll Women’s Volleyball Championship tournament for the 21st time.
The girls set their sights even higher for this season, hoping to top their program best at No. 4 from 2017.
Head coach Rick Swan will be working with the team for his 22nd season this fall.
“I am so excited about the upcoming season,” said setter Isabelle Aragon-Menzel ’21. “We have been working so hard throughout pre-season and I am so ready to start competing.”
The women have been practicing on campus since Aug. 17. They train on the court six times per week and lift with CC’s varsity strength and conditioning couches three times per week.
Colorado College kicks off the season with the CC Classic on Friday, Aug. 30, with matches against Millsaps College and Clarkson University.
The next day, the Tigers face Edgewood College and the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh.
The team plans to defend its Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference crown with four matches in Shreveport, La., on Sept. 20 and 21. The Tigers open against the University of Dallas and Centenary College on Friday, and face Schreiner University and Southwestern University the next day.
Two weeks later, CC faces No. 17 Trinity University for the first time in Kerrville, Texas. The second meeting will occur on Saturday, Oct. 26, in Sherman, Texas.
The Tigers will attempt to win their third SCAC tournament crown Nov. 8–10 at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, Texas.
If CC makes it three in a row for the second time in program history, the Tigers will earn their 22nd consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division III Women’s Volleyball Championship.
Good luck, girls!