LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team is ranked No. 15 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll. The poll is voted on by Division II coaches and is the first poll to be released for the 2010 season. SMSU received 373 total points.

NSIC foe Concordia-St. Paul was the top vote getter in the preseason poll. The Golden Bears received 788 total points in the poll. The Mustangs are one of five NSIC schools to earn a spot in the preseason version of the poll.

Head coach Terry Culhane, entering his seventh season at the post of the volleyball squad, returns nine letterwinners from 2009. Joining the returning letterwinners this season include five freshmen and one redshirt freshman to round out the 15-player roster.

The Mustangs return junior All-American middle blocker Devin Diedrich (6-0, Braham, Minn.) and the 2009 NSIC Freshman of the Year Mary Groth (MB, 6-1, So., West Bend, Wis.). Groth also picked up AVCA Central Region Freshman of the Year honors. SMSU also returns Kenzie Niesche (DS, 5-6, So., Chaska, Minn.) who was named to the All-NSIC honorable selection team.

The Mustangs have found themselves in the AVCA Top 25 Poll each week of the season for the past two seasons. SMSU peaked as high as No. 8 in the AVCA poll last season. At the conclusion of the 2009 season, SMSU was ranked No. 16 in the final poll if the season.

SMSU finished the 2009 season 25-8 overall and 15-5 in the NSIC. The Mustang volleyball team appeared in its seventh consecutive NCAA tournament appearance.

The Mustangs will hold their annual "Late Show" on Thursday, Aug. 19, at 7:30 p.m. at the PE Gym. SMSU opens the 2010 campaign on Sept. 3 when it travels to Golden, Colo. to compete in the Colorado School of Mines Classic.