USC Aiken Volleyball Chosen to Finish Sixth in PBC Preseason Coaches Poll
AUGUSTA, Ga. –
The University of South Carolina Aiken volleyball team was picked
to finish sixth in the preseason Peach Belt Conference coaches poll
released by the league office on Friday, Aug. 14.
The Armstrong Atlantic
State volleyball team was voted the preseason favorite. The Pirates
received five of a possible seven first-place votes to finish with
46, ahead of PBC newcomer Flagler College, who was second with 39.
Francis Marion was third in the voting, while another new PBC
member, the University of Montevallo, was fourth. Coaches were not
allowed to rank their own teams.
Lander was picked one spot
in front of the Pacers in fifth, while Augusta State and (seventh)
and UNC Pembroke (eighth) were tabbed to finish below USC
Aiken.
Despite being picked in the
middle of the pack by the league’s head coaches, if you ask
second-year head coach Glenn Cox to describe his 2009 Pacer
volleyball team he will tell you that, put simply, his squad is
young, but dangerous.
Last year, Cox managed a very young Pacer squad nicely in the 2008
campaign with the Pacers ending their campaign with a 16-15 record
and a third place finish in the Peach Belt Conference
Tournament.
Cox believes bigger things are ahead for the Pacers in the
upcoming season.
“I have high expectations for this year’s team,”
noted Cox. “We may have for the most part a very young
roster, but to counteract that we also have more depth and talent
at each position.”
Cox and the 2009 Pacers open their upcoming campaign two weeks
from today in the West Georgia Tournament in Carrollton, Ga.
Last year, the Pacers began the year 4-0 for the first time in
program history. They will look to start strongly once again in
2009 at the West Georgia Tournament in Carrollton, Ga. During the
two-day event that will take place on Aug. 28-29, the Pacers will
square off against Albany State (Aug. 28 – 11:30 a.m.),
Barton (Aug. 28 – 2 p.m.), Valdosta State (Aug. 29 – 10
a.m.) and Rollins (Aug. 29 – 12:30 p.m.).
The Pacers will play in their home facility for the first time
after the West Georgia Tournament by playing host to the 2009 USC
Aiken Volleyball Invitational on Sept. 4-5. The Pacers are the
defending champions in the event.
USC Aiken will play three matches in the USCA Invitational,
opening the event at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4 against Saint
Andrews. USC Aiken will then play two matches on Saturday, Sept. 5.
They will first take on Florida Tech at 10 a.m. before closing the
tournament by playing Catawba at 3 p.m. The 2009 USCA Invitational
will utilize two courts, but USC Aiken will play all three of its
matches in the main arena.
School
1. Armstrong Atlantic St.
2. Flagler
3. Francis Marion
4. Montevallo
5. Lander
6. USC Aiken
7. Augusta State
8. UNC Pembroke
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