USC Aiken Volleyball Tied for Fifth in PBC Preseason Poll
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AUGUSTA, Ga. – The USC Aiken women’s volleyball team
was chosen to finish in a tie for fifth place in the Peach Belt
Conference preseason volleyball coaches poll released by the league
office on Friday, Aug. 27.
USC Aiken head volleyball coach Glenn Cox feels that while his
squad is still young, featuring eight sophomores and three
freshmen, they can compete for the 2010 PBC crown despite being
projected to finish behind some of the toughest competition in all
of Division II volleyball.
The 2010 squad returns six starters, including the libero, and has
10 letterwinners in total returning for the 2010 campaign.
Cox’s lineup will be comprised mostly of sophomores and
freshmen, as he returns just one senior and three juniors.
Add to the solid returning core a sophomore transfer and three
stout freshmen, and the Pacers will enjoy depth at almost every
position and will look to make a run through the extremely tough
league.
The Pacers ended the 2009 season with an overall record of 15-18
and were 5-9 in PBC play to finish the season in sixth place.
Despite battling injuries, the 2009 squad earned two critical
victories over the two teams who later met to decide the NCAA
Division II Southeast Region title. The Pacers were the only team
to down the Saints of Flagler College in league play and just one
day later, USC Aiken became one of two teams to conquer the Pirates
of Armstrong Atlantic State during the regular season.
Coach Cox will look to his preseason All-Conference selection
outside hitter Shannon Byers as well as fellow sophomores Lindsay
Mortenson and Samantha Lukralle to lead the team this season. Byers
led the team in kills (326) and kills per game (2.69) while
Mortenson led the Pacers in both block assists (58) and solo blocks
(75). Last year’s libero, Lukralle led the team in digs en
route to setting a school single-season record of 523 digs.
Flagler College’s volleyball squad was voted the unanimous
preseason favorite after winning the regular season crown, the
tournament title, and the region title all in their first year in
the conference in 2009. The Saints claimed all seven first place
votes for 49 total points, finishing ahead of the Armstrong
Atlantic State who received all seven second place votes to earn 43
total points. Augusta State and Montevallo tied for third with 26
total points while Lander and USC Aiken were tied for fifth just
one point behind the Jaguars and Falcons. Francis Marion (seventh)
and UNC Pembroke (eighth) rounded out the poll.
The 2010 Pacer volleyball team will look to begin their regular
season with a four-match weekend tournament hosted by Lees-McRae
Labor Day weekend. On Friday, Sept. 3 the Pacers will take to the
court against tournament host Lees-McRae at 1 p.m. before
concluding the day with a 7 p.m. night-cap match against preseason
PBC favorite Flagler College. The next day USC Aiken will take on
Palm Beach Atlantic at 10 a.m. before concluding their tournament
appearance with a 3:30 p.m. match against Coker College.
USC Aiken’s first home match will be played during the 2010
USC Aiken Volleyball Invitational the following weekend on Sept.
10.
The coaches poll is listed below. Coaches were not permitted to
vote for their own team.
1. Flagler 49
2. Armstrong Atlantic State 43
T3. Augusta State 26
T3. Montevallo 26
T5. Lander 25
T5. USC Aiken 25
7. Francis Marion 21
8. UNC Pembroke 9
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