CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR AUGUST 22, 2016
Men's Soccer/Women's Volleyball Teams Picked to Repeat in MIAA Preseason Polls;
Women's Volleyball Ranked 5th in AVCA Division III Top 25 Preseason Poll
MEN'S SOCCER
The Calvin men's soccer team will head into the upcoming 2016 season as the preseason favorite in the MIAA.
The Knights received seven first place votes in the MIAA preseason coaches' poll with Kalamazoo picked to finish second in the league receiving the other first place vote. Coaches could not vote for their own team.
Calvin has won at least a share of the last nine MIAA regular season titles. A year ago Calvin put together a record-breaking year as the Knights finished 24-1-1, establishing a Calvin single-season record for victories. The Knights advanced all the way to the NCAA III Tournament semifinals before bowing to Loras College 1-0.
Included in the record-breaking campaign was a second straight 14-0-0 MIAA league mark. The Knights have won 34 consecutive MIAA regular season matches heading into the 2016 season.
The Knights return 17 letterwinners and six starters. Calvin returns three players who were named to the All-MIAA first team in senior midfielders Stephan Hooker (Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS) and Isky VanDoorne (Calgary, AB/Western Canada HS) and sophomore defender Trent Vegter (Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS).
A two-time NSCAA Division III All-Central Region choice, Hooker ranked second on the 2015 Calvin team in scoring with 30 points on the strength of 12 goals and six assists while Van Doorne tallied six goals and five assists for 17 points last fall. The 2015 MIAA Newcomer of the Year, Vegter started in all 26 of Calvin's games last year and also collected five assists.
Calvin also returns three players who were named to the All-MIAA second team in senior midfielder David Waterson (DeWitt/DeWitt HS), senior defender Jay Noyola (Frankenmuth/Frankenmuth HS) and junior midfielder Mitch Stark (South Lyon/South Lyon HS).
Stark was Calvin's leading scorer last fall with 32 points. He scored eight goals and collected 16 assists which ranks fourth on the Calvin single-season list for assists. Waterson has been a steady presence as a holding midfielder during his career. A two-year starter, Waterston picked up one assist last year while linking Calvin's defensive back line to its attackers up front. Noyola had a strong year last fall in his first year as a starting outside back while chalking up one goal and assists.
Calvin will open its season on September 2 against Capital University at the Ohio Wesleyan University Fred Myers Invitational. The Knights will face Ohio Wesleyan the following evening. The Knights will host Benedictine University September 9 and Aurora University September 10.
The MIAA schedule begins on September 13 when the Knights host Adrian at 4 p.m.
MIAA MEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON POLL
Calvin 7 points (7 first place votes)
Kalamazoo 13 points (1 first place vote)
Alma 21 points
Hope 24 points
Adrian 35 points
Albion 37 points
Trine 40 points
Olivet 47 points
VOLLEYBALL
The Calvin women's volleyball team has been picked to repeat as MIAA champions. The Knights received eight first place votes in the MIAA Coaches' poll released this afternoon. Hope received the other first place vote and was pegged to finish second with Adrian third and Albion fourth.
Calvin has won at least a share of the last six MIAA regular season titles. In 2015, the Knights raced through a 16-0 MIAA campaign and then captured the MIAA Tournament title. Calvin later advanced to the regional finals of the NCAA III Tournament and finished the season with an overall record of 30-4.
A pair of two-time first-team all-MIAA selections return for Calvin in Laura Danhoff (Sr., MH, Willard, Ohio) and Jenna Lodewyk (So., S, Villa Park, Ill.). The Knights also feature MIAA Freshman of the Year in Anna Kamp (So, OH, Orland Park, Ill.).
Calvin is scheduled to open its season on September 2 at a non-conference invitational hosted by the University of Chicago.
The Knights will open their MIAA campaign on September 7 with a road match at Albion.
2016 MIAA preseason volleyball poll
Calvin 64 points (8 first place votes)
Hope 57 points (1 first place votes)
Adrian 49 points
Albion 35 points
Alma 34 points
Saint Mary's 30 points
Trine 30 points
Olivet 14 points
Kalamazoo 11 points
MORE VOLLEYBALL
The Calvin women's volleyball team will enter its upcoming 2016 campaign as one of the nation's top-ranked teams. The Knights are ranked fifth in the 2016 AVCA Division III preseason Top 25 poll released this week.
Defending national champion Cal Lutheran is the top-ranked team in the poll with Wittenberg ranked second, Juniata ranked third and Emory fourth.
Calvin returns 12 letterwinners from a team that finished 30-4 in 2015 and reached the NCAA III quarterfinals. Top returning players include junior setter Jenna Lodewyk who was named a second team AVCA Division III All-American last fall and senior middle hitter Laura Danhoff who was a third team AVCA Division III All-American in 2015.
Other key returning players include sophomore libero Keilahna Castillo who was a 2015 AVCA Division III Honorable Mention All-Region selection and sophomore outside hitter Anna Kamp who was named the 2015 MIAA Freshman of the Year.
Calvin is scheduled to face five teams this year that are ranked in the 2016 AVCA Division III preseason Top 25 poll. Those opponents include Wittenberg (No. 2), Juniata (No. 3), Hope (No. 17), Elmhurst (No. 18) and Clarkson (No. 20).
Calvin is scheduled to open its season on September 2 when it faces Millikin University at a tournament hosted by the University of Chicago.
AVCA POLL: https://www.avca.org/polls/diii-women/poll-8-17-16.html
Received on Mon Aug 22 22:06:20 2016
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