Concordia University, St. Paul debuts the 2009 volleyball season as the nation’s top squad, according to the AVCA Division II Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll, released Thursday afternoon by the AVCA. The Golden Bears earned a unanimous 32 first-place votes and 800 total points after coming away with a 37-1 record and capturing a second consecutive national championship in 2008.

A familiar foe follows Concordia University at second place in the poll: the Coyotes of Cal State San Bernardino. Last year’s runner-up, CSUSB returns four starters and nine letterwinners as they aim to make another run to the title match. Fellow Northern Sun opponents receiving nods in the first poll of the year are Minnesota Duluth at 7th, Southwest Minnesota State at 8th, Augustana College at 22nd and Wayne State at 25th. With five teams ranked in the nation’s top 25, the NSIC will continue to be one of the most competitve leagues in Division II.

Concordia returns five of their seven starters to the 2009 campaign, headlined by the 2008 AVCA Division II Player of the Year, Maggie McNamara. McNamara has quarterbacked the Golden Bears to a 109-7 record during her first three seasons and has led the nation in assists each season. In addition to leading the CU offense, McNamara also works to secure the Golden Bear defense. In her career, she has 5,800 total assists and 1,034 digs. She is a three-time AVCA All-American with two NSIC Player of the Year honors and three All-Region accolades. McNamara is one of three returning All-Americans from the 2008 squad (Mary Slinger, Emily Palkert).

–Courtesy CSP Athletics

Preseason Bison/AVCA Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll
(As of 08/20/2009)

Rank School W-L Points Prev
1 Concordia-St. Paul (32) 37-1 800 1
2 Cal St. San B’dino 30-4 760 2
3 Emporia St. 34-4 710 5
4 Grand Valley St. 33-4 692 3
5 West Tex. A&M 34-5 671 7
6 Neb.-Kearney 32-4 655 6
7 Minn. Duluth 26-9 572 9
8 Southwest Minn. St. 27-6 549 8
9 Truman 33-8 530 4
10 Tampa 27-5 511 10
11 Washburn 30-6 468 13
12 Central Mo. 29-10 442 11
13 UC San Diego 21-7 411 17
14 California (Pa.) 41-2 392 12
15 West Fla. 25-7 346 15
16 Fla. Southern 25-9 293 19
17 Pittsburg St. 28-8 269 16
18 Cal Poly Pomona 20-8 247 14
19 Nova Southeastern 24-12 213 20
20 Cal St. L.A. 21-8 187 18
21 Lewis 31-8 150 NR
22 Augustana (S.D.) 23-11 126 22
23 Western Wash. 21-3 106 21
24 Western Ore. 22-3 73 23
25 Wayne St. (Neb.) 23-10 56 25

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Minnesota State 39; Saginaw Valley State 25; Northern Kentucky 13; Dowling 11; Indianapolis 11; Sonoma State 10; Chico State 9; Wingate 9; Armstrong Atlantic State 6; Northern Michigan 2.
DROPPED OUT: No. 24 Saginaw Valley State.