Briar Cliff junior Erin Frank was a second-team all-conference pick last season.SIOUX CITY (KTIV) -- -
The Briar Cliff volleyball team has finished 8-8 in the GPAC in each of the past two seasons. The Chargers are picked to finish eighth out of the eleven teams in the conference this season.
BCU head coach Jill Muhe is back for her third season and she has four of her top six hitters returning.
"They've been working really hard during double days," said Muhe. "A lot of that can be seen in how scrappy we are. That's fun volleyball to watch when balls are bouncing around all over the place and great places are being made. Hopefully we'll be a fun team to watch."
Brooke Maguire, a junior from Norfolk, Nebraska, led BC in kills, blocks and block assists last season. Senior Melissa Van Driel of Hawarden, Iowa, was second in kills with 209. Setter Erin Frank, a Sioux City East grad, was a second-team all-conference pick, leading BC is assists and aces.
"I know we didn't finish very well last year so I know that's part of the reason why we got the eighth place in preseason," said Frank. "But it's just one reason to come in and work harder and prove everyone wrong, like Morningside did last year."
"We worked hard in this off-season, running and lifting," said Van Driel. "We don't have a big team but I think we can over-power them with what we've built this summer."
The Chargers have eleven freshman, including 6'2" Breanna Nogelmeier of Homer, Nebraska, who's fighting for playing time.
BCU opens their season Friday at Dakota State.
