It may not be arduous a journey as the 19th century caravan that eventually made it to the west coast. Instead of traveling by covered wagon, the Hamline volleyball team will take a plane to Portland to open the 2019 season at The Oregon Trail tournament hosted by George Fox University.

Head coach Maggie Meixl will take 11 returnees and four newcomers for matches against Lewis and Clark, Willamette, Linfield and the host school August 30-31. It will be the first time HU has tangled with any of those schools on a volleyball court.

The Pipers are coming off a 12-13 season that saw them roll up their longest winning streak since 2014. Eight of the 11 returnees saw action in 60 sets or more for the Pipers, who also had a four match winning streak in 2018. 

Morgen Coleman is the lone senior on the roster. The North Branch, Minn. native has been a stalwart from the day she walked on campus, going wherever needed on the court. As a result, Coleman, a MIAC Honorable Mention pick in 2018, has 381 kills, 1000 assists, 661 digs and 91 service aces in three seasons on the Hutton Arena floor. (In the winter, Morgen is a starter for the HU women's basketball team.) 

Juniors Madison Hurrle and Megan Rubbelke played key roles in last year's season. Hurrle led the team with 256 kills, averaging nearly three per set. She also was a top defender, topping the Pipers with 17 solo blocks and 28 assisted blocks. Rubbelke was the team's main setter last year with 735 and also led the team with 32 service aces. Like Coleman, she is a two sport star as a starting infielder on the softball team. 

Meixl is also looking at last year's impressive freshman crop to step up and take a bigger role in 2019. Sydney Larson was second on HU last year in kills with 193 and Gabby Robinson, also a hoopster, was third with 170. Both played in nearly every set in 2018. 

The 2019 season opens with a pair of tournaments. On September 6, the Pipers head down Snelling Ave. to Macalester to face Knox amd Bethany Lutheran before returning to Hutton Arena to kick off a 12 match home slate against Wis-Stout on Wednesday, September 11 (7:00 p.m.). The MIAC schedule starts the following Wednesday at St. Mary's with the Hutton lidlifter set for September 25 against Bethel.