For the 18th consecutive season the Seward County Lady
Saints Volleyball program has found itself ranked inside the NJCAA top
20, this year making an early appearance at #14 in the National Poll
released this week. 

                Seward finds themselves slated in with the nation's
elite teams in the pre-season poll at #14 and is the top rated team from
the Jayhawk Conference in the poll.  Defending league champ Barton and
dark horse Hutchinson each received votes for the rankings but weren't
able to crack the top 20.  Perennial National Tournament contenders are
scattered about the pre-season rankings however none of last year's top
3 finishers at the National Championship event were inside the top 4 of
this year's first poll.  To take it a step further, defending National
Champions Blinn, failed to even make the poll of 20 teams.  Southern
Idaho is #1 after a 24-12 campaign a season ago while Tyler and Central
Florida check in behind the Golden Eagles at #2 and #3. 

                The Lady Saints schedule in 2012 will be another action
packed one, as Seward will square off against 6 different teams ranked
in the pre-season poll in a total of 9 matches against those teams.
Seward returns 6 players from their 25-16 squad in 2011 including
All-Conference middle hitter Bailey McFerren, fellow middle hitter Sarah
Miller who was in the top 10 in the nation in blocks as a freshman,
right side hitters Aubree Young, Lakeria Eatmon, and Rachel Coleman, as
well as outside hitter Jasmine Bryant.  The group is joined by 8
newcomers composed of a pair of setters, 5 hitters, and a defensive
specialist. 

                The gals in green kick off their 2012 season on August
24th when they head to the New Mexico desert to play in the New Mexico
Military Classic Tournament and face off with #11 Seminole State in
their opener.  Seward opens their home slate on September 5th when they
host the Colby Lady Trojans at 6:30 in the Greenhouse. 

Roy Allen