(Courrtesy of HCC Sports Information)
For the first time since 2009, the Hutchinson Community College volleyball team starts the season ranked in the NJCAA Preseason Division I poll. Released on Monday morning, the Lady Dragons will open the 2013 season ranked No. 11. Hutchinson is the only Jayhawk West team to be ranked in the preseason rankings. Hutchinson comes off a 28-10 season in which it won both the Jayhawk West and Region VI championships and qualified for its sixth NJCAA National Tournament where it went 1-2. The 2012 Lady Dragons finished No. 17 in the final poll last season. The last time that Hutchinson started a season ranked in the preseason poll was 2009, when it opened at No. 13. Starting his second season, HCC head coach Patrick Hall returns four players from last year, including Jayhawk West Player and Freshman of the year Teresa Wade, who was a second-team NJCAA All-American last season. Fans can get a first look at the 2013 Lady Dragons this Saturday with a pair of preseason scrimmages, coming against Fort Hays State and Redlands Community College at the Sports Arena. HCC will play Fort Hays State at 10 a.m. and Redlands at 1:30 p.m. Redlands opens the season right behind Hutchinson at No. 12. Hutchinson opens the season on Friday, Aug. 23 against Eastern Arizona in the first of four matches at the New Mexico Military Classic in Roswell, N.M. The Lady Dragons open the home and Jayhawk West season on Wednesday, Aug. 28 when Barton comes to the Sports Arena in a rematch of a five-set thriller in last year’s Region VI championship match. Western Nebraska opens the season ranked No. 1 in the 2013 preseason poll. Iowa Western is No. 2 and College of Southern Idaho is No. 3. The Lady Dragons have five opponents this season which are in the preseason poll. Hutchinson plays No. 3 College of Southern Idaho and No. 6 Salt Lake at the CSI Classic in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Sept. 4-5. HCC will again meet Redlands in the Lady Dragon Classic on Sept. 21. Hutch will play both No. 8 Missouri State University-West Plains and No. 18 Wallace State in October in the Grizzly Classic at West Plains, Mo.