Volleyball
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Panthers sweep Franklin to keep Victory Ball
Hanover College's volleyball squad capped its regular season with a three-game victory against Franklin College in the annual battle for the Victory Ball trophy. The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference clash was held Tuesday, Nov. 3, in Collier Arena.
Hanover defeated the Grizzlies 25-18, 25-17, 25-15, to close the regular season with a 14-16 record. The victory was the fifth HCAC win in a row for the Panthers, which finished 6-2 in the league and will be the No. 3 seed in conference tournament.
Sophomore outside hitters Kirsten Brandvik (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Abby Merritt (Indianapolis, Ind.) led Hanover's balanced attack.
Brandvik posted a team-high 11 kills along with six digs and two service aces. Merritt added 10 kills and five digs.
Junior outside hitter Rachel Kloentrup (Morning View, Ky.) chipped in eight kills and a team-best 14 digs. Sophomore setter Jennifer Wullenweber (Milan, Ind.) had a team-high 35 assists and six digs, while junior defensive specialist Natalie Fansher (Noblesville, Ind.) added seven digs.
Franklin ended its season with a 4-19 overall record. The Grizzlies finished 1-7 in the conference.
Hanover vs. Franklin statistics
Coaches place Panthers sixth in HCAC title hunt
The Hanover College volleyball team was picked to finish sixth in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference in a preseason polling of the league's nine head coaches.
The Panthers, guided by 11th-year head coach Peter Preocanin, earned 44 points in the poll. Hanover had a 12-19 overall record in 2008. The Panthers tied Bluffton University (Ohio) for fourth in the conference race with a 5-3 mark.
2009 Heartland Conference Preseason Volleyball Poll
The College of Mount St. Joseph (Ohio) was the Heartland Conference coaches' favorite to win the 2009 crown. The Lions, winners of 10 straight league titles, earned 80 points in the poll, including eight of the nine first-place votes. Anderson University placed second with 66 points and one first-place vote. Defiance College (Ohio) was third in the balloting with 59 points.
Hanover will tip off its 2009 campaign Sept. 4-5 in a tournament at Capital University (Ohio). The Panthers' home-debut will be Sept. 11-12 during the Hanover Invitational in Collier Arena. Preocanin's squad will open its HCAC slate Saturday, Oct. 3, on the road against Bluffton University (Ohio).