If last season is any indication of what's to come, the Cyclone volleyball team is going to have one heck of a run.

The 2018 crew earned an NJCAA Region IV championship and competed at the NJCAA Division II championship in West Virginia, where they finished 10th in the nation. Nearly that entire group is back, including an All-American player, except for one graduate.

The seven returners will set the tone and lead the way for the five dynamic incoming freshmen. Back to business is Noelle Knezz (Lincoln-Way West), last year's All-American, All-Conference and All-Region player; Abbi Fletcher (Oak Lawn) and Amanda Bulow (Oak Lawn), both of whom earned All-Conference and All-Region; Taylor Bulow (Oak Lawn), an All-Region Tournament player; and All-Conference Lauren Gausselin (Sandburg). Noelle's sister, Brianna Knezz (Lincoln-Way West), and Elaina Evers (homeschooled) should be a force among the newcomers.

Even with a large number of sophomores, the freshmen allow for a fluid lineup and more options. "We have a very athletic group this season, and I am excited to continue growing and see what their future holds," said head Coach Lauren Lorenz, last year's Region Coach of the Year, who continues her fourth season at the helm.

In preseason polls, the NJCAA ranked the Cyclones No. 14. With the addition of stronger teams on the schedule to help prepare for post-season play, this crew has high expectations.

"Coming in ranked 14th is definitely motivating. They want to live up to these expectations but also prove we can finish higher. We finished 10th at nationals, so bumping down a few slots helped light a little fire under them. It is an honor to be ranked. Last season, we were never ranked, so it's nice to see our hard work pay off," Lorenz said. "This year, I am hoping to finally clinch the conference title but more importantly have another successful year in the region and qualify for nationals again. Having a much deeper bench will allow me to make changes and rest other players more than I was able to last season. We gassed out a little bit at the end of nationals, and I want to make sure that doesn't happen again."