Contact: Heather Benning, Executive Director, benningh@midwestconference.org

GRINNELL, Iowa – Since rejoining the Midwest Conference in the fall of 2012, the Cornell College volleyball team has dominated the hard court going 98-2 in regular-season league play, won eleven consecutive Conference championships and maintained a monopoly on the league’s Automatic Qualifier to the NCAA Tournament through undefeated play at the end-of-season tournaments.

It’s no surprise that the Rams are the decisive choice to win the 2024 MWC title - receiving eight first-place votes (coaches are not permitted to vote for their own team) and 64 points in the preseason coaches’ poll.

Illinois College, whose only league losses last year came to Cornell - 1-3, in regular season play and then, 0-3, in the tournament title match - secured second place in the preseason ranking with 54 points and the remaining first-place vote. The Pioneers of Grinnell College move up one spot from last year’s poll to the No. 3 position with 49 points, while the Lake Forest College Foresters slip one rung to round out the top four with 44 points.

For the second year in a row, Monmouth College is projected to be just outside looking in on a top-four finish, as the Fighting Scots finish fifth with 36 points. They are followed by Ripon College who collected 28 points for sixth place, followed by Lawrence University (23). Knox College and Beloit College finished tied for eighth with 13 points apiece.

MWC schools compete against one another in a single-round robin format during the regular season. The team with the highest winning percentage will be crowned the league’s Champion and earn the right to host the end-of-season tournament. In the event of a tie, the tie(s) shall be broken by head-to-head results among tied teams. If head-to-head results don’t break the tie(s), then co-champions will be named.

The MWC Volleyball Tournament weekend is scheduled for November 15-16. The league’s top-four teams will square off for the tournament title and the Conference’s Automatic Qualifier to the NCAA Tournament.

Full preseason coaches’ poll results and quick facts for all nine Conference teams can be found below:

2024 MWC Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll Results
1. Cornell College (8) - 64 points
2. Illinois College (1) - 54 points
3. Grinnell College - 49 points
4. Lake Forest College - 44 points
5. Monmouth College - 36 points
6. Ripon College - 28 points
7. Lawrence University - 23 points
T8. Beloit College - 13 points
T8. Knox College - 13 points
 
() – indicates first-place votes
*Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams.
 
Beloit College Buccaneers
Head Coach: Lehua Kadooka (6th Season)
2023: 1-25 (overall); 0-8 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: None
 
Cornell College Rams
Head Coach: Jeff Meeker (24th Season)
2023: 23-8 (overall); 8-0 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: Clare Green (Sr.), Ilah Perez-Johnson - 2023 Player of the Year (5th Yr.), Ella Becker (Jr.), Kiana Manson (Sr.)
 
Grinnell College Pioneers
Head Coach: Eric Ragan (8th Season)
2023: 13-17 (overall); 5-3 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: Emily Brewer (Sr.), Jenna Keller (Sr.), Sophie Weber (Sr.)
 
Illinois College Lady Blues
Head Coach: Claire Scully (1st Season)
2023: 18-13 (overall); 7-1 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: Ligaya Garibay - 2023 Newcomer of the Year (Sr.), Summer Brandis (Jr.)
 
Knox College Prairie Fire
Head Coach: Maliah Blakemore (1st Season)
2023: 2-18 (overall); 1-7 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: None
 
Lake Forest College Foresters
Head Coach: Melanie Hughes (1st Season)
2023: 17-8 (overall); 6-2 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: None
 
Lawrence University Vikings
Head Coach: Jeff Van Lannen (1st Season)
2023: 5-22 (overall); 2-6 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: None
 
Monmouth College Fighting Scots
Head Coach: Derrick Broekemier (2nd Season)
2023: 5-22 (overall); 4-4 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: Layne Wright (Sr.)
 
Ripon College Red Hawks
Head Coach: Katie Astrauskas (15th Season)
2023: 10-19 (overall); 3-5 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: None