BURNSVILLE, Minn. -- Augustana University Volleyball, winners of 23 matches last season which included a trip to the NSIC semifinals, has been picked to finish sixth in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference preseason coaches poll, the league office announced Tuesday.

The Vikings return eight letter-winners and seven student-athletes with significant experience. In addition, head coach Jennifer Jacobs returns for her second season and brought in two new additions to her coaching staff.

"We are super excited to get the season going," Jacobs said. "The team is ready to go and they worked really hard in the offseason. Over the summer we really put an emphasis on strength and conditioning and early on we can tell they worked really had at that."

Michelle (Van Epps) Aggen has been hired as Jacobs top assistant while Jaelyn Arndt will serve as Augustana's graduate assistant. Aggen played college volleyball at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota and was a three year starter and a three year captain. She participated in 92 career matches, finished with 3,263 set assists, which ranks third all-time at DWU. Earning GPAC all-conference honors, Aggen concluded her career with 759 digs and 218 kills. Jacobs coached Arndt at Augsburg College and was an outside hitter.

Courtney Place, a senior outside hitter from Okabena, Minnesota, is a strength for the Augustana volleyball team and she looks to improve upon her 449 kills from last season which ranked third in the conference.

"She operates at a higher level than anyone in our conference. Having her back is really a blessing and we will be relying on her quite a bit this season," Jacobs said.

Right side hitter Payton Rosendahl returns for her sophomore season, coming off a season in which she played in 29 matches and recorded 155 kills last year.

The Vikings welcome three new freshmen to the program in outside hitter Grace Haberland, Libero/DS Kelsey Ruff and setter Avery Thorson.

Augustana opens up the 2018 season at the Eckerd Classic in St. Petersburg, Florida on August 24.