The Buena Vista volleyball team had a losing record and won a combined 60 matches from 2006-12, but over the last three years alone, it has posted a winning record each year, won a combined 60 matches (10 IIAC) and has made the Iowa Conference Tournament the last two seasons.

That, coupled with the return of its first-ever Iowa Conference MVP and first-ever All-American, head coach Lori Slight has a lot of reason to believe that this year could finally be the one that sees the program capture its first-ever league crown.

"We have such a great group of corps kids, and the versatility of them gives us so many options to work with," says Slight.

Slight, who was tabbed the 2014 IIAC Coach of the Year, will have a new top assistant for the first time since she took over the program in 2012.  Will Baumann replaces Micah Rhodes, who was hired on as an assistant coach at Creighton University this offseason.

"Sometimes with a new assistant, it's hard to adjust to some idea changes that are brought in, but this group of ladies, it's been amazing to watch their strong tempo and pace throughout camp.  The upperclassmen have been taking it all in stride and this might just be one of the fiercest and competitive teams for our level of offense."

Senior Maddie Bardole will be without question the backbone of it all.  She was brought in three years ago to help put the team back on the map, and now has got the Beavers in a position to be an annual title contender.

The 2013 IIAC Freshman of the Year ranked second on the team last season in kills (459) and became the program's all-time leader in career kills and will enter her final campaign with 1,489.  She was also second in the IIAC with 119 kills and third in double-doubles (kills-digs).

Alongside Bardole has been junior Jade Schaap, who has captured the IIAC Freshman of the Year accolades in 2014 before becoming the program's first-ever All-American (Honorable Mention) in 2015.  That dynamic duo has Slight smiling at the potential of what they can produce this season.

"They have both been absolutely phenomenal," she says. "They're just very level-headed individuals, and their voices become more in tune with the rest of the team.  I praise each of them for giving and taking direction to help this team succeed."

Schaap led the Beavers a year ago in kills (516), marking just the third time in program history that a player has topped the 500 mark.  She was third in digs (388) and finished the year with 19 double-doubles.

Sophomore Victoria Leffler gives the Beavers more experienced depth at the net after a freshman season that saw her post 115 kills and 51 total blocks.  Slight says senior Sydney Donnelli, who served as the team's primary libero a year ago, will split time between an attacker and a libero this season.  She led the way defensively as a junior with 582 digs.  She has over 1,000 career digs and posted a career-high 95 kills as a freshman.

After missing last season due to injury, junior Jamie Navinskey is back out on the court in 2016 and Slight is excited to have her versatility in the lineup.  Sophomore Serena Sandvig adds depth to the Beaver attack after registering 70 kills as a freshman.

Slight is excited to have a pair of young setters battling for playing time after the departure of two-year starter Laura Barry.

Buena Vista, last year's preseason favorite, was tabbed third in this year's coach's poll.  Slight feels that it is a good spot for her team to be in and will take off some of that added pressure of being the team to beat.

"I have no problem with being in that spot," she says.  "I think being the favorite last year kind of rattled us at times because we didn't want to lose.  We should be able to go out and play more relaxed this year."

Her team will get out on the court for the first time in the regular season tonight on the road at Grinnell College for a pair of non-conference matches before taking part in the St. Olaf Invite on Saturday afternoon.  The team plays the first of four home matches when it begins Iowa Conference play on September 20 against Simpson College.

All four home matches in 2016 are league games and against some of the top teams in the league.  That could prove to be a huge thing for Slight's team which has gone a combined 10-3 on its home court over the last two years.

"It's a huge advantage for us," says Slight.  "We want to be able to pack the gym and make it more of a basketball atmosphere each of those four nights and make it difficult for our opponents."

Aside from the Storm stepping foot inside of Siebens Fieldhouse, the Beavers will also host Luther, Wartburg and Coe.

A new change for this year is the Iowa Conference Tournament.  The event will now be a two-day event held at the US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids.  Slight says there will be a little more meaning to the regular season as teams will look to land a top-two spot and avoid playing a match on that first day.

"That extra day of rest and saving the legs from having to play consecutive days I think will prove to be a huge advantage," she states. "I think you'll see even more urgency in our conference matches this year as teams fight to finish in one of those top spots and get that bye."

Friday's season opener against Hamline is set for 3:00pm followed by a match against the host Pioneers at 7:00pm.  Live stats will be available at www.bvuathletics.com.