KANSAS CITY, Mo. - - The Madonna University volleyball team is ranked 10^th in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) preseason coaches' poll released by the national office today. The Crusaders debut in the top-10 for the fourth straight season and will play nine teams who received votes in the poll, including five top-25 teams.

MU - coming off of a 35-12 season and its 11^th straight Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) title - sits behind defending national champion Fresno Pacific, who is in the top spot. Joining the Sunbirds in the top-five are fellow GSAC members Cal Baptist, Concordia (Calif.), Biola and Azusa Pacific. In the six through nine spots are Columbia, Northwestern (Iowa), Point Loma Nazarene and the College of Idaho.

The Crusaders welcome back 12 letter winners, including five all-conference selections among them first team All-American Lubovj Tihomirova (Riga, Latvia) and have three newcomers in the fold. The royal blue and gold opens the 2008 season on Wednesday night when MU hosts Spring Arbor in a 7:00 pm match inside the Activities Center.