Most sports open slowly with teams taking gingerly first steps as they build up momentum. Volleyball is the exception to that rule. Acting head coach Maggie Meixl is about to find that out this weekend as the Pipers play three times in a span of 20 hours in a tournament at St. Olaf College. Meixl, who served as the main assistant coach at HU the past two seasons, leads 12 returnees and five newcomers against North Central (MN) and Wis-River Falls on Friday, September 1. HU comes back the next afternoon to tangle with Martin Luther. Four days later, Crown and Wis-River Falls are at Hutton to inaugurate the home slate.

It's all part of a stretch that will have Hamline play nine matches in an eight day span to prep for the MIAC opener September 13 against Gustavus Adolphus at Hutton Arena. 

Meixl will be looking to find the edge that will get the Pipers back into the MIAC playoffs, a status they narrowly missed last year when they tied for sixth place -- the final postseason position --  but lost out via tiebreakers. "I was very happy with training camp," Meixl said. "There was good effort and good communication."

The 2017 volleyball contingent has five seniors returning. Four of those -- Cass Bittle (149 kills), Marisa Franco (175 digs), Cassie Doerr (122 digs, 15 service aces) and defender Danica Hanson -- saw considerable court time in 2016. Also back is Morgen Coleman, who was one of the top setters in the MIAC as a freshman, finishing with 632. She also had 222 digs and 23 service aces. Megan Anderson also was busy in her first collegiate season, playing in 64 games with 117 digs and 19 service aces. 

Among the five new faces is one that knows Hutton Arena well. Reilly Geistfeld spent a lot on the court last year with the HU women's basketball team. The 5-10 sophomore middle blocker is hoping to stay busy in the fall as well. If bloodlines mean anything, Megan Rubbelke may be busy as well. Her older Jamie had an excellent four career in both volleyball and softball. Older brother Joe was an outstanding men's hockey player at HU. Her brother Nate, a junior, is a top pitcher on the baseball team. 

The Pipers have 10 matches at Hutton this year. The schedule, however, is backloaded with HU playing five of their final six matches on their home court. Three of those are conference matches and Meixl and her charges hope there will be a lot on the line when they get to that point. 

"We had a good buy-in in the preseason," Meixl said.