MADISON, S.D. -- The Bellevue University volleyball team is picked to finish second in the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) regular season in an announcement made today by the conference office. Viterbo is the coaches' pick to win the 2020 NSAA volleyball title. It is the sixth-straight year that the V-Hawks are picked to win the league title. 

The Bruins tallied 56 points in the poll after ending the 2019 season with a No. 19 final national ranking. Bellevue returns 11 letterwinners and five starters from last season's squad that finished with a 28-10 overall record and a 10-4 mark in the NSAA. Bellevue advanced to the NAIA National Tournament for the 12th time in school history.

Leading the way will be junior first-team All-American setter Olivia Galas, the NSAA's reigning Player of the Year and junior second-team All-American Sierra Athen, who led the team in kills (490) and was second in digs (422). Other key returners include honorable mention outside hitter Andrea Carson and all-NSAA middle blocker Coree Lipovsky.

VU tallied eight first-place votes and collected 64 points to claim No. 1 spot in the conference preseason poll.  Viterbo completed their 2019 season with an overall record of 35-7 and 13-1 record in league play.  The V-Hawks won the NSAA regular-season and post-season titles.  Viterbo advanced to the NAIA national tournament's semifinals, falling to Westmont (Calif.) in three-straight sets.

The V-Hawks finished with a No. 3 ranking in the final NAIA Volleyball Coaches' Top 25 national poll.

Dakota State (S.D.) was picked to finish third in the preseason poll with 46 points.  The Trojans advanced to the NSAA postseason conference tournament's championship match last season.  Dakota State also qualified for the NAIA Volleyball National Tournament Opening Round for the first time in school history, finishing 19-13 overall record and 10-4 NSAA conference record.

Mayville State (N.D.) was collected 42 points to place fourth in the poll, followed by Presentation (S.D.) fifth with 27 points.  Waldorf (Iowa) was picked to finish sixth after tallying 23 points.  Dickinson State (N.D.) placed seventh with 18 points and Valley City State (N.D.) eighth with 12 points. 

All NSAA members will be playing a 14-match schedule (7 matches at home and 7 matches on the road).  The conference season officially kicks off Tuesday, Sept. 15 with Presentation visiting Mayville State.  The rest of the NSAA's opening-season matches are on Wednesday, Sept. 16 with WU at VU, DiSU at VCSU and BU at DaSU on schedule.

The top six teams will qualify for the North Star Athletic Association Tournament on a date to be determined at the Civic Arena in Watertown, S.D.

The NSAA postseason tournament's champion will receive an automatic bid to the NAIA Volleyball National Tournament.

Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the NAIA Volleyball National Tournament has been moved to the spring season.  The national tournament will be held at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa from April 27 through May 1.

Below is the complete list of the 2020 NSAA Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll below: