The Valparaiso volleyball squad has been predicted to finish in third place in the Horizon League in 2012, as chosen by the league’s nine head coaches.

Each of the coaches ranked the teams one through seven, omitting their own squad from the voting.  Teams received seven points for a first-place vote down to one point for an seventh-place vote.

Milwaukee led the polling unanimously with 49 points, picking up seven first-place votes.  Cleveland State, which received the other first-place vote, was chosen second with 43 points, while the Crusaders tallied 36 points to place third in the poll.  UIC (29 points) and Green Bay (26 points) were picked fourth and fifth, respectively, with Loyola (21), Wright State (11) and Youngstown State (9) rounding out the poll.

Valpo returns 10 letterwinners, including five starters, from a 2011 squad which became the tenth straight Crusader squad to win at least 20 matches, and also brings in a pair of freshmen to complement the returning nucleus.  The Crusaders’ season starts on August 24 at the Hawkeye Challenge with matches against Southeast Missouri State and Chicago State.