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The NAIA released the 2011 Preseason Volleyball Coaches' Poll today and the Doane Tigers will open the season ranked in the Top 25 for the third straight season. The Tigers, coming off a 27-8 record in 2010, open the season ranked No. 12. Last week, Doane was chosen by the GPAC coaches as the preseason favorites this year in a close vote with Northwestern College.

Last year, Doane advanced to the NAIA National Tournament in Sioux City for the third consecutive year and took runner-up honors in the GPAC with a 14-2 conference mark. This season, the Tigers return five starters including All-Americans Susan Rollman and Ashley Axmann. A pair of Second Team All-GPAC performers return as well in Terra Andreasen and Emily Max.

Doane College, after a trip to the NAIA National Tournament in 2010, is the GPAC coaches’ pick to win the league title in 2011.

The Tigers, coached by Cindy Meyer, compiled a 27-8 overall record last fall and placed second in the conference regular season with a 14-2 record. Doane accumulated 94 points and five first place votes in the poll of league coaches.

Northwestern, who posted a 36-2 overall and 16-0 league record last fall, is tabbed number two in the preseason with 91 points and four first place mentions. Dordt is picked third with 78 points, while Nebraska Wesleyan is fourth with 66. The final two first place votes went to Hastings who is fifth in the early season poll with 62 points. Northwestern, Doane, and Briar Cliff participated at the NAIA National Volleyball Championship Final Site in Sioux City last year.

NebVolleyball recently caught up with Bruning-Davenport-Shickley junior outside hitter Makaleigh Yantzie and asked her about the upcoming season. Yantzie is one of five returning starters who will be trying to lead BDS to the state tournament in their second year as a cooperative program. Below are the questions and her answers.

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Scottsbluff High School didn't have to look too far when it came to hiring a new volleyball coach to replace Shana Dick, who resigned at the end of last season. Assistant coach Megan Burda has been hired to take Dick's place.

The 30-year old Bayard native steps in to her first head coaching position after two years with the seventh grade program, one year with the freshman team and the last three campaigns as the junior varsity coach.

Darren Ivy/NebVolleyball UNO's Emily Myers tries to make a pass attempt against Doane College.

Click to view and/or buy photos from the UNO Spring Volleyball Tournament.

OMAHA - The Bellevue University volleyball team ended the spring off-season on a high note, playing some of the top teams in the region, while participating at the University of Nebraska at Omaha Spring Tournament Saturday (April 16) at the Sapp Fieldhouse.

The Bruins defeated two NCAA Division II opponents, split with the host school UNO, and split with NAIA National Tournament qualifier Doane College.

OMAHA – The UNO volleyball team will host a five-team spring tournament on Saturday, April 16, Head Coach Rose Shires has announced. Missouri Western, Northwest Missouri State, Bellevue University and Doane College are all scheduled to participate in the day-long tournament at Sapp Fieldhouse in a showcase of local Midwestern talent.

"We are looking forward to competing again some of the best local college talent," Shires said. "The UNO volleyball players have been working very hard this spring to develop new offensive and defensive abilities, and the experience will be very positive."

UNO SPRING TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Time
Court 1 Court 2
10 a.m. Bellevue vs. Missouri Western UNO vs. Doane
11 a.m. Doane vs. Bellevue Missouri Western vs. Northwest Missouri State
Noon Northwest Missouri State vs. UNO Doane vs. Missouri Western
1:15 p.m. Missouri Western vs. UNO Bellevue vs. Northwest Missouri State
2:15 p.m. Bellevue vs. UNO Doane vs. Northwest Missouri State

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After capping another successful season at the NAIA National Volleyball Tournament, the Tiger volleyball squad was recognized with individual national honors. Susan Rollman and Ashley Axmann were named NAIA All-Americans after helping the Tigers to a 27-8 record and national ranking of 15th.

Rollman, a sophomore from Humphrey, earned Second Team honors. She is one of nine Tiger players to have been honored by a team distinction (first, second or third team). She led the Tigers in attack percentage, hitting out of the middle this season at a .366 clip, which ranked 19th in the NAIA and is the third best in a single season at Doane. She posted 24 matches with 10 or more kills, including a season-high 18 kills on four occasions. Rollman also led the Tigers with 114 total blocks (0.93/set). She was second on the team with 386 kills (3.14/set). Susan is the daughter of Timothy and Margery Rollman.

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The Doane College volleyball team was swept in its second match of the NAIA National Tournament by Brownsville of Texas.

The scores were 25-21, 25-19, 25-19.

Ashley Axmann had 11 kills to lead Doane College.

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NAIA Pool Play began on Tuesday afternoon in Sioux City, Iowa, and the night cap featured a thrilling five-set match between the 15th-ranked Tigers and No. 11 Concordia University (CA) Eagles. In the end, the Eagles rallied to take the match, 3-2. Game scores were 20-25, 25-18, 17-25, 25-20 and 15-4 in favor of Concordia.

The first set saw Doane score the first two points of the match before Concordia answered with five straight of their own behind the serving of Amber Ridens. Doane continued to chip away at the lead and used a five-point run by Nicole Skolnick and a six-point run by Amy Kreikemeier to take an 18-13 lead.