Volleyball coaches say Whitworth will repeat

The Whitworth Pirates were picked to repeat as champions by the Northwest Conference volleyball coaches it was announced Monday.

Senior Kaimi Rocha, the 2010 NWC Player of the Year, returns to lead the Pirates. She will be joined by All-NWC second-team selections senior Amanda Grumbach, senior Bree Riddle and sophomore Whitney Santos.

Whitworth received 7 of 9 first-place votes and totaled 69 points. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their team.

Puget Sound grabbed the other two first-place votes and finished second in the poll with 58 points.

Pacific Lutheran (51) was third, followed by Whitman (32), Willamette (30) and Lewis & Clark (28). George Fox and Linfield tied for seventh with 26 points each and Pacific (13) was ninth.