Cleveland, Ohio -- The Mid-American Conference announced the 2012 Preseason All-MAC Teams as voted on by the league's head coaches.
Preseason favorite Ohio placed three student-athletes on the East Division team with Lexie Hartnett, Kelly Lamberti and Chelsea Bilger. Lamberti finished her first season, second in the league in point scoring behind MAC Player of the Year Lauren Wicinski. The freshman also ranked second in kills, fifth in service aces and led Ohio in double-doubles with 19. Bilger finished second on the Bobcats in kills and third in points. She racked up 12 double-doubles on the season, eight in conference action. Hartnett received All-MAC honors for a second time last season after helping Ohio rank 19th in the nation in blocks per set. The redshirt sophomore ranked third in the MAC in blocks per set and placed second with 117.0 total blocks. Bilger was named to the All-MAC Freshman team last season after recording 13 double-doubles for the Bobcats, eight in conference play. She ranked second on the team in kills and third in points and digs.
Bowling Green's Danielle Tonyan, Buffalo's Liz Scott and Miami's Madison Hardy were also named to the East Divison Preseason team. Tonyan is a returning first-team All-MAC performer and ranked third in the league in kills a year ago (first in the East Division). Only one player in BGSU program history has recorded 300 kills in all four years of her career, but Tonyan has posted at least 300 in each of her first two seasons. Scott was named to the All-MAC Freshman team last season after leading the Bulls in hitting percentage. She recorded double figures in kills 15 times last season. Hardy led the RedHawks in digs with 529, an average of 4.72 digs per set last season.
West Division preseason favorite Western Michigan placed two student-athletes on the West Division team with Terin Norris and Jessica Brown. Norris is the reigning MAC Freshman of the Year and First Team All-MAC selection recorded 1,404 assists last season while recording 165 kills. Brown lead the Broncos with 3.00 kills per set and recorded 3.50 points per set.
Also being named to the West Division team were Kara Bates of Ball State, Kaitlyn McIntyre of Central Michigan, Rachel Iaquaniello of Eastern Michigan and Mary Kurisch of Northern Illinois. Bates was named to the 2011 All-MAC first Teams as well as the 2012 AMC All-Tournament team last season. She has a team-best 3.20 kills-per-set average for the season. McIntyre, a 2011 MAC All-Freshman team selection, led CMU and set a new freshman single-season record with 409 kills. Iaquaniello, two-time first team All-MAC selection, was second in the MAC with 3.97 kills per set and 4.40 points per set. She not only led Eastern in kills, but aces as well with 32. Kurisch, a first team All-MAC selection last season put up a career-best kill rate of 2.28/set, hit .321, had 22 aces, notched a career-high 80 digs, and had her best blocking season to date (0.87/set).
The 2012 volleyball season begins this Friday as teams begin non-conference season. The 2012 MAC Volleyball Tournament will be November 16-18 at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
East Division Preseason All-MAC Team
1. Danielle Tonyan, Bowling Green
2. Liz Scott, Buffalo
3. Madison Hardy, Miami
4. Chelsea Bilger, Ohio
5. Lexie Hartnett, Ohio
6. Kelly Lamberti, Ohio
West Division Preseason All-MAC Team
1. Kara Bates, Ball State
2. Kaitlyn McIntyre, Central Michigan
3. Rachel Iaquaniello, Eastern Michigan
4. Mary Kurisch, Northern Illinois
5. Jessica Brown, Western Michigan
6. Terin Norris, Western Michigan