Madison, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse volleyball team is projected to finish third in the 2017 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Preseason Poll released Thursday, according to the league's head coaches and sports information directors.  UW-Whitewater, winners of three of the last six regular-season WIAC championships, is expected to capture the league title.  

UW-Whitewater, UW-La Crosse and UW-Oshkosh shared last year's regular-season championship with 5-2 league marks.  UW-Oshkosh is predicted second in 2017 followed by UW-La Crosse, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stout, UW-Platteville and UW-River Falls. 

UW-La Crosse, ranked 18th in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top-25 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Preseason Poll, returns 10 letter winners and five starters from last year's squad which finished 23-6 overall. The Eagles tied for 17th in the final 2016 AVCA Top-25 Poll.  Winners of two consecutive WIAC titles, UW-La Crosse has captured 11 league championships in school history.

The Eagles made their second straight NCAA Division III appearance in 2016 and 14th in school history, earning their first tournament win since 2008 with a 3-0 victory over the University of St. Thomas (Minn.) before falling in the regional semifinals. 

Amber Dunn begins her first season as UW-La Crosse's head coach in 2017 after serving as head coach at The State University of New York at Geneseo in 2015 and 2016.  She led the Knights to a 17-15 overall record in 2016, qualifying for the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament for the first time since 2011.  Prior to arriving at SUNY Geneseo, Dunn served as an assistant volleyball coach at UW-Stevens Point from 2012-14.  

Senior setter Madison Entinger of Chanhassen, Minn. (H.S.) and senior outside hitter Stephanie Henk of West Bend (Kewaskum) return after both earned 2016 All-WIAC First Team honors.  Entinger, a 2016 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention and AVCA All-Midwest Region First Team selection, played in all 29 matches and 112 sets last season.  She finished second in NCAA Division III in assists per set (11.16) a year ago, recording a season-high 62 versus Northwestern-St. Paul (Minn.) September 10.  Entinger recorded 10 double-doubles (assists-digs) in 2016 and was named to three all-tournament teams.  She ranks seventh in school history in career assists (1,804). 

Henk was named to the 2016 AVCA All-America Second Team and AVCA All-Midwest Region First Team after leading UW-La Crosse in kills (418) and points (476.5) while ranking second in aces (38) and third in digs (262).  Playing in all 29 matches, Henk was named the 2016 WIAC Offensive Player of the Year after she finished third in the WIAC in kills (3.77) and points (4.29) per set and sixth in aces per set (0.34) and 11th in hitting percentage (.243). Named to the 2015 All-WIAC Honorable Mention Team, Henk recorded double-digit kills in 26 of 29 matches a year ago, including a season-high 25 versus Illinois Wesleyan University September 24. She finished with nine double-doubles (kills-digs) and earned a pair of all-tournament selections.

UW-La Crosse returns eight other letter winners in 2017, including senior libero Halle Barnabo of River Falls (H.S.), senior middle blocker Jessica Jablonski of Menomonee Falls (Hamilton) and senior setter Paige Schmidt of Winona, Minn. (H.S.).  Junior outside hitter Marisa Johnson of Spencer (H.S.), junior right-side hitter Mackenzie Rechner of Stevens Point (SPASH) and junior libero Stevie Winer of McFarland (H.S.) all return along with sophomore setter Abbey Fox of Weston (Newman Catholic) and sophomore middle blocker Kathryn Maas of Rochester, Minn. (Mayo). 

Barabo, Jablonski, Schmidt and Johnson each played in all 112 sets in 2016.  Barabo led UW-La Crosse and ranked fifth in the WIAC with 4.18 digs per set total of (468) while Jablonski led the Eagles and finished second in the league in blocks with 1.05 per set (118 total).  Schmidt was fourth on the team in aces (0.29 per set) while Johnson led the conference (0.55). 

UW-La Crosse opens its 2017 season Friday, September 1 at the Coe College (Iowa) Mabel Lee Invitational.  The Eagles open their home schedule Friday, September 15 hosting Luther College (Iowa) at 7 p.m. in Mitchell Hall.  UW-La Crosse starts WIAC play Wednesday, September 27 hosting UW-River Falls. Click here for the complete 2017 schedule.