BURNSVILLE, Minn. – On Tuesday morning, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) released the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll and Concordia-St. Paul was picked to finish first for the 15^th consecutive season.
 
The Golden Bears enter 2018 coming off their ninth NCAA Division II National Championship in the last 11 years last season as they swept their way past Florida Southern in the title match. CSP also claimed the NSIC regular season crown last season.
 
CSP received 15 possible first-place votes as they led the poll with 225 points. Concordia was followed by Southwest Minnesota State (210 points), Minnesota Duluth (194), Northern State (176), and Wayne State (164) in the top-five.
 
Southwest Minnesota State's Taylor Reiss was named the NSIC Preseason Player of the Year for the second year in a row while CSP setter Elizabeth Mohr was named a player to watch.
 
After entering the 2017 season with nearly an entirely new starting lineup, CSP returns an experienced bunch for 2018. Seniors Elizabeth Mohr and Brooklyn Lewis return to the fold after earning All-America honors in their first year as starters last season. Mohr led the nation in assists per set while Lewis became the first player at Concordia since 2006 to average over 4.00 kills per set with a team-best 4.01 per set.
 
Hope Schiller, Sydney Book, and Tori Hanson also return after playing key roles in last season's championship run as all but two of last season's starting unit return.
 
The Golden Bears will need to replace a pair of All-NSIC selections as CSP lost both Mariya Sampson and Shelby Seurer to graduation. Sampson was a four-year starter on the outside while Seurer was a regular in the middle in each of the past two seasons.
 
Concordia opens up the season with preseason tournaments at Ferris State and at the Colorado Premier Challenge before opening up NSIC action at Upper Iowa on Sept. 6.