WAYNE, Neb. -- The Wayne State College volleyball team was picked third in the 2022 NSIC Preseason Coaches’ Poll released Tuesday morning by the league office in Burnsville, Minnesota.  Wildcat sophomore middle hitter Maggie Brahmer was selected as the Wayne State Player to Watch in the NSIC this season.

Wayne State collected 189 points in voting conducted by league coaches in the poll.  The Wildcats finished the 2021 season at 22-8 overall and was fourth in the NSIC with a 14-6 league mark while ending the year ranked 18th in the final AVCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll.

Concordia-St. Paul edged defending NSIC regular season and tournament champion St. Cloud State as the team to beat in the NSIC this season. The Golden Bears garnered 217 points and nine first-place votes while St. Cloud State had 213 points and the remaining seven first-place votes.  Following Wayne State in the poll were Augustana in fourth with 179 points and Minnesota Duluth and Northern State tied for fifth at 149 points each.

Southwest Minnesota State came in seventh with 146 points, slightly ahead of Winona State’s 141 points.  Minnesota State (115) and Upper Iowa (109) rounded out the top 10 teams.

Closing out the poll were Sioux Falls (98 pts), MSU Moorhead (61), Bemidji State (52), University of Mary (50), Minnesota Crookston (27) and Minot State (25).

Brahmer, a 6-0 sophomore middle hitter from Pierce (Pierce HS), was listed Wayne State’s Player to Watch in the NSIC this season after earning All-NSIC First Team honors last season.  She averaged 2.65 kills and 0.88 blocks per set while leading the NSIC and ranking third in NCAA Division II with a .461 attack percentage.  Brahmer had at least one block in all but one match last season.

Wayne State opens the 2022 season at the Adelphi Tournament in New York on Thursday, August 25th.

2022 Preseason NSIC Volleyball Coaches Poll

1.         Concordia-St. Paul (9)               217 pts.

2.         St. Cloud State (7)                     213 pts.

3.         Wayne State                             189 pts.

4.         Augustana                                179 pts.

5.         Minnesota Duluth                      149 pts.

5.         Northern State                           149 pts.

7.         Southwest Minnesota State        146 pts.

8.         Winona State                            141 pts.

9.         Minnesota State                        115 pts.

10.        Upper Iowa                               109 pts.

11.        Sioux Falls                                98 pts.

12.        MSU Moorhead                         61 pts.

13.        Bemidji State                             52 pts.

14.        University of Mary                     50 pts.

15.        Minnesota Crookston                27 pts.

16.        Minot State                               25 pts.

                        first place votes in ( )