MOUNT VERNON – "One of my favorite parts of coaching is that every year, every team is different."
 
The impressive part is the results have largely been the same for coach Jeff Meeker's volleyball program. The Rams have performed at a consistent high level, winning nine conference regular-season titles and qualifying for the NCAA Tournament eight times since 2011.
 
Meeker's squad faces high expectations again this year as the favorite to capture the MWC title for the 10th year in a row. The Rams garnered 62 points and six first-place votes in the MWC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Grinnell is the chief challenger with 56 points and three first-place tallies.
 
"We are very excited about the group we have this fall and looking forward to putting the pieces together to compete for a conference championship," said Meeker, Cornell's all-time winningest coach in any sport with 373 victories through 20 seasons on the Hilltop. "Ultimately, our goal is to compete with and beat the best teams in Division III volleyball. We have a bunch of Top 25 teams on our schedule, highlighted by a home match with the defending champions."
 
The 2021 NCAA champion is top-ranked UW-Eau Claire, which the Rams meet Oct. 1 during a home quadrangular in the Small Athletic and Wellness Center. Cornell will see five Top 25 nationally-rated opponents during the course of its nonconference schedule.
 
The Rams received 26 votes in the AVCA Preseason Coaches' Poll.
 
Cornell opens play Thursday at the University of Dubuque. First serve is 7:30 p.m.
 
The Rams return plenty of firepower from last year's 20-12 team that went 8-0 in the MWC and gave Wartburg a 3-1 battle on its home court in an NCAA regional loss. Five starters are back, headlined by senior middle blocker Rory Light, an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American in 2021.
 
Light, a Mount Vernon native, ranked in the Top 5 nationally in blocks (124) and blocks per set (1.20) last season. The first team all-region and all-MWC performer hit .297, averaged 3.24 kills per set and posted a team-high 416.5 points.
 
"Rory is one of the best blockers in the country," Meeker said. "She'll be ready to go defensively and offensively this season."
 
Junior outside hitter Ilah Perez-Johnson and sophomore setter Clare Green earned second team all-MWC recognition in 2021. Perez-Johnson accumulated 326 kills (2.94 kps) and served a team-best 45 aces. Green distributed 1,095 assists in her rookie campaign, the fifth-highest total in program history. She also hit .242 and averaged 0.47 blocks.
 
Seniors Grace Marti (118 kills, 47 blocks) and Olivia Richards (177 kills, 50 blocks) bring starting experience to the front line. Juniors Delaney Thomas, Caitlin Babcock, Tendall Weigand, Mia Loughran and Olivia Henkel earned varsity letters a year ago.
 
The Rams have key departures to replace in all-American libero Sydney Meeker and first team all-MWC outside hitter Alissa McEndaffer. Meeker, who accounted for 2,180 career digs, is in her first year as a full-time assistant coach on her father's staff.
 
Cornell's incoming freshman class features Iowa all-staters Carly Puffer (Class 2A First Team, MB/RS, Wilton) and Ella McLaughlin (Class 4A Second Team, OH, North Scott). Defensive specialist Ella Becker played on two state tournament teams at Ankeny Centennial.  
 
"We return a great deal of experience and have some talented newcomers joining our team," Meeker said. "Our success this fall will be largely determined by how our group commits to being great teammates, first and foremost, and by the effort we put forth on a day-by-day basis. We want our team to play with passion and have fun every time we are on the court."