CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Nebraska Wesleyan University volleyball team was picked to finish 6^th in the 2019-20 American Rivers Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' poll that was released on Wednesday (Oct. 16).
 
NWU received 27 total points in the conference preseason poll to finish sixth in the voting.
 
Wartburg College received seven 1^st place votes and 63 total points to sit on top of the conference preseason poll.  The Knights were the 2019 American Rivers Conference regular season and tournament champions advancing to the Elite 8 in the NCAA III Tournament.  Loras College got the other two first place votes and 58 points to place second.
 
Nebraska Wesleyan is coming off a 12-14 season in 2018-19 where they finished 6^th in the conference with a 7-9 record to qualify for the conference postseason tournament.
 
Second-year head coach Sam Dixon brings back three starters from that team, headlined by senior guard Caitlin Navratil who led the conference in scoring and was a 1^st-Team All-Region and All-Conference performer. 
 
The Prairie Wolves began practice on Oct. 15 and will open the 2019-20 season on November 15 when they host Grinnell College.  NWU will play their first three games at home over a five-day span from Nov. 15-19.
 

2019-20 American Rivers Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
Rank	School (1st place votes)	Points	2018-19 Record
1.	Wartburg (7)	63	27-4, 15-1 A-R-C (Reg. Season & Conf. Tournament Champion/NCAA Elite 8)
2.	Loras (2)	58	22-6, 14-2 A-R-C (NCAA Qualifier)
3.	Simpson	49	20-7, 11-5 A-R-C
4.	Luther	41	12-13, 10-6 A-R-C
5.	Coe	39	15-11, 9-7 A-R-C
6.	Nebraska Wesleyan	27	12-14, 7-9 A-R-C
7.	Central	24	7-18, 3-13 A-R-C
8.	Buena Vista	12	7-18, 2-14 A-R-C
9.	Dubuque	11	3-22, 1-15 A-R-C