SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The University of Wisconsin-Superior volleyball team was picked to finish second in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) in 2023, as the conference unveiled its preseason poll in an announcement Tuesday.
 
The Yellowjackets earned 41 points in the poll of UMAC coaches, trailing only Northwestern, who was tabbed to finish first with 49 points and seven first-place votes. Northwestern enters the year ranked No. 5 in the AVCA Division III national rankings.
 
UW-Superior welcomes seven new faces to the program in 2023. Spearheading the top Yellowjacket returners are senior Kaylin Plautz (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) and juniors Jenna Anderson (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji) and Maiana Stark (Germantown, Wis./Germantown).
 
Plautz collected an honorable mention citation from the UMAC in 2022, playing in all 29 matches and boasting a team-best 87 blocks for a 0.86 average-per-set. She was also the conference's 10th best in points with 278.5 for a 2.76 points-per-set average. Additionally, Plautz tallied double-figure kills in six matches and tied her career-best of 18.
 
Anderson concluded the 2022 season with 492 digs and 4.78 digs-per-set, both second-best in the conference. Starting all 29 matches, she posted double-digit digs in 27 matches and surpassed the 1,000 dig-mark for her career, earning her second consecutive All-UMAC Second Team selection.
 
Stark earned All-UMAC Second Team plaudits for the first time in her career in 2022, finishing with 265 kills. Starting in all 29 matches, she also compiled 38 total blocks, 3.62 points-per-set and 94 digs for the Yellowjackets.
 
Minnesota Morris was selected to finish third this year, picking up the final first-place vote and earning 39 points. Following the Cougars in fourth place are Bethany Lutheran with 25 points, Martin Luther in fifth with 24 points, and North Central in sixth with 24 points. Rounding out the conference in seventh place is Crown with 13 points and Northland in eighth with nine points.
 
The Yellowjackets begin the 2023 campaign at the Ripon College Classic, where they will face Mount Mary Sept. 1. First serve in Doc Weiske Memorial Gymnasium is at 5 p.m.