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1993
Past Champions
1993 F&M (10-0)
1994 F&M, Gettysburg,
Western Maryland (9-1)
1995 Gettysburg (10-0)
1996 Gettysburg (10-0)
1997 Gettysburg (10-0)
1998 Gettysburg (10-0)
1999 F&M, Gettysburg,
Western Maryland (9-1)
Players of the Year
1993 Trish Vos, F&M
1994 Meridith Sandherr, F&M
1995 Jen Krug, Gettysburg
1996 Jen Power, F&M
1997 Catherine Schott, Gettysburg
1998 Catherine Schott, Gettysburg
1999 Catherine Schott, Gettysburg
It's A Toss-Up, Again!
F&M, Gettysburg and Western Maryland split votes
in Preseason Volleyball Poll
LANCASTER, Pa. - August 30, 2000 - - It looks to be another season of heated volleyball competition in the Centennial Conference. In a preseason poll of the conference's 11 coaches, last years tri-champions of Franklin & Marshall, Gettysburg and Western Maryland are in a dead heat as preseason favorites. While last year's title was shared by the three schools with identical conference records of 9-1, Gettysburg received the CC's automatic NCAA bid due to a better game percentage. This year's champion will be determined by a conference championship tournament on November 4, which according to the polls, should prove to be some pretty tough competition.
Franklin & Marshall led this year's preseason voting with 91 overall points but the Green Terror, scoring 90 overall, received five first-place votes as compared to the Diplomats' four signaling once again, a tight battle for the trophy. The Bullets, winners of six consecutive titles, received two votes for top honors but as always, are expected to be close in the running with an overall score of 88. Johns Hopkins rounded out the top four with a strong 76 overall points.
Haverford, coming off of its best season in 10 years, is expected to match last year's fifth-place conference finish coming in with 57 points, only three ahead of Muhlenberg (54). Ursinus (48), Dickinson (36), Bryn Mawr (28), Swarthmore (19) and Washington (18) round out the list.
Franklin & Marshall's (29-7, 9-1 CC) first task at hand will be to replace last year's record-setting senior class. The The Diplomats' senior class racked up the winningest record in school history while bringing home the first Conference title since 1994. A team of primarily underclass hitters will look to senior setter Mary Boland, (Wayne, PA / Villa Maria Academy) a 1999 Centennial Conference First-Team selection, to guide them to a repeat appearance in the NCAA tourney.
Western Maryland (21-10, 9-1) managed to take home a share of the title last year with a relatively young team, putting them in a strong position to repeat. Returning senior hitters Honesty Drumgoole (Westminster, MD / Westminster) a CC first-team selection and Brianne Bray (Dallastown, PA / Dallastown) a previous first and second-team All-Conference selection, will lead the attack along with junior setter Jessica Rouse (Williamsport, MD / Williamsport).
There's no denying that there are some pretty big shoes to fill over in Gettysburg (21-15, 9-1). Catherine Schott rewrote the record books as the conference's first four-time, first-team selection and three-time winner of the Player of the Year award. But the Bullets return a solid core with two-time, first-team senior setter Nicole Evans (Sarasota, FL / Sarasota), senior hitter Lisa Kamin (Glenn Mills, PA / Penncrest) a second-team selection and junior hitter Megan Wargo (New Freedom, PA / Susquehannock) an honorable mention recipient.
Johns Hopkins (26-15, 7-3) could prove to be a silent powerhouse behind senior hitter Mary Alexis Paul (Baldwin, NY / Baldwin) a second-team All-Conference selection. A contender right up until the end last year, the Blue Jays finished with a conference record of 7-3 just behind the three leaders.
Haverford (19-17, 5-5) hopes sophomore setter Steph Frank (Colgate, WI / Germantown High) and junior hitter Anne Suskind (Solana Beach, CA / The Bishop's School) can work with a strong incoming freshman class to improve upon last year's 5-5 conference record and edge out the Mules for fifth place in the conference. Muhlenberg (20-18, 4-6) however, will look to junior setter Laura Funsten (King of Prussia, PA / Upper Merion) and sophomore hitter Meaghan Billie (Northampton, PA / Central Catholic) to knock the Fords back a notch and return to the top division.
Ursinus (16-10, 4-6) set a school record for victories last year and with senior hitter Nikki DiMascio (Wilmington, DE / Padua Academy) and junior hitter Katie Shearer (Reading, PA / Exeter) hopes are high for an even better year. Dickinson (9-18, 3-7) hit a hot streak at the end of last season and with only one senior lost to graduation, hopes to continue that streak behind junior hitter Shauna Bauers (Glenshaw, PA / Fox Chapel) and senior hitter Marisa Young (Potomac, MD / Connelly School of the Holy Child). Bryn Mawr (10-13, 4-6) looks to 6-1 senior middle hitter Alison Ayers (Ventura, CA / Midland School) to better their 4-6 conference record while Swarthmore (4-20, 1-9) will look to sophomore Bryn Rosenfeld (Bloomfield, MI / Seaholm) to strengthen last year's 1-9 conference finish. Washington (3-32, 0-10) hopes to better its win record behind senior hitter Kate Bierzonski (Camp Hill, PA / Trinity).
Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Franklin & Marshall (4) 91 2. Western Maryland (5) 90 3. Gettysburg (2) 88 4. Johns Hopkins 76 5. Haverford 57 6. Muhlenberg 54 7. Ursinus 48 8. Dickinson 36 9. Bryn Mawr 28 10. Swarthmore 19 11. Washington 18 (#) first-place votes coaches not allowed to vote for their own team