 AIKEN, S.C.--The USC Aiken Lady Pacers
are picked to finish third according to the 2005 Peach Belt Conference
preseason volleyball poll, released Wednesday afternoon by conference
officials. It marks the third time in the past five seasons USCA has
been tabbed third. Armstrong Atlantic State, tied for 21st in the AVCA
Top 25 preseason coaches poll and an NCAA Regional participant in 2004,
is the unanimous favorite to capture their first ever regular season
volleyball championship.
AASU garnered all six possible first-place votes (coaches were not allowed
to vote for their own team) accumulating 36 total points. Francis Marion,
who finished third last year with a 9-5 mark in conference play, received
one first-place vote, four second-place tallies, and one fourth-place nod
to place second with 29 points. The Lady Pacers received two second-place
and four third-place votes to come in at number three with 26 points.
A conference that was dominated by North Florida for the past eight seasons will
feature a whole new feel in 2005. The Lady Ospreys, winners of the last eight
regular season titles and owners of an impressive streak of 63 consecutive regular
season victories dating back to 2000, departed to Division I and the Atlantic
Sun Conference. With the loss, the conference now has just seven teams and the
number of PBC contests is reduced from 14 to 12, making each one that much more
important.
USC Upstate was fourth in the voting with 23 total points followed by UNC Pembroke
(14), Lander (12), and Augusta State (7).
USC Aiken finished 21-13 in 2004 posting one of the best turnarounds in Peach
Belt Conference history. The Lady Pacers’ 8-6 mark in conference play placed
them fourth in the standings, one match shy of third. Will Condon, 91-74 in five
seasons as head coach, loses just one starter and four total players off last
year’s team. He will, however, have to fill the void left by senior Jenny
Lloyd, the program’s first AVCA All-Region player in seven years.
A talented trio of rising sophomores in Veronica Seidle, Missy Deardorff, and
Mandy Gerolstein join junior Laura Williams, and senior setter Rachel Dalitz
as returning starters.
In 13 years of PBC volleyball competition, the Lady Pacers have won four PBC
Championships (1991, 1992, 1993, 1995) and three PBC Tournament Titles (1991,
1992, 1996). The four regular season titles is the most among current conference
members.
The Lady Pacers open the season on Saturday, August 27 at the Joseph B. DuRant
Invitational hosted by Francis Marion in Florence, S.C. USCA will face California
(Pa.) at 1:00 PM followed by Lenoir-Rhyne at 5:00 PM.
2005 Peach Belt Conference
Volleyball Preseason Poll
Team................................................Points
1. Armstrong Atlantic State (6)...........36
2. Francis Marion (1)...........................29
3. USC Aiken....................................26
4. USC Upstate...................................23
5. UNC Pembroke................................14
6. Lander............................................12
7. Augusta State..................................7 |
