ST. LOUIS, Mo. – This morning the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced the 2022 Volleyball Preseason Poll. The Gorlok were picked to finish third in the conference after receiving 40 points in the poll and one first place vote. Greenville (Ill.) University was picked to win the conference as they received 45 points in the poll and four first place votes.

The Gorloks return 19 players from last year's team that finished the season with a 13-14 overall record and a 6-6 mark in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Of the 19 returners, four Gorloks started in 10 or more matches including Lauren Borik, Julia Frey, Kaylee Portell, and Madison Katz.

Borik, the two-time SLIAC Player of the Year and First Team All-SLIAC selection, has appeared in 70 matches over the last three seasons. She has accumulated 866 kills, 76 assists, 639 digs, and 112 total blocks throughout her career. Her 866 kills ranks 10^th all-time in Webster history.

Frey, a senior middle hitter, has appeared in 39 matches over the last three seasons with the Gorloks. She led the team with 58 total blocks last season and has accumulated 188 kills throughout her career. Portell and Katz were both newcomers last season as Portell finished the year with 121 kills and 41 total blocks while Katz added 73 kills on the year.

In addition to the returners, the Gorloks bring in 11 newcomers including seven freshman and four transfers. Of the newcomers, Tyler Ramstack, Abby Jacobs, and Ellie Biedenstein will look to play a big role on the team this season. Ramstack and Jacobs are both freshmen while Biedenstein is a transfer from Benedictine (Kan.) College.

Lauren Borik and Kaylee Portell were both named to the SLIAC Preseason Watch List along with Jayda Branch (Spalding), Jadyn Fitzgerald (Fontbonne), Chasity Hill (Greenville), Kristen Kaemper (Fontbonne), Haley Menke (Westminster), Kaitlyn Murray (Greenville), Emma Pramik (Fontbonne), Eryka Wanyoni (Westminster), Ella Werner-Click (Fontbonne), and Autumn Wilson (Blackburn).

The Gorloks will kick off their season on Thursday, September 1^st when they travel to the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis (Mo.). The game is set to start at 6 p.m.