USCA SEVENTH IN FIRST NCAA REGION POLL
LADY PACERS ARE PEACH BELT CONFERENCE'S LONE REPRESENTATIVE

AIKEN, S.C.-- In the first release of the NCAA Division II South Region Volleyball Poll on Thursday, the USC Aiken Lady Pacers (16-3, 3-0 PBC) are seventh, the only Peach Belt Conference squad listed in the top 10.  At season’s end, the poll will determine the participants for the 2007 NCAA Tournament. (PHOTO BY: Scott Webster) 

Tampa (18-0) not only leads the South Region rankings, but is the number one team in the country according to the latest AVCA Top 25 Coaches Poll.  Florida Southern (15-6), ranked 15th in the nation, comes in at number two in the region poll followed by Eckerd (15-5), Wingate (21-1), and Nova Southeastern (16-6) to round out the top five.

Catawba (20-4) heads up the second five followed by USC Aiken (16-3), Tusculum (18-6), Lynn (10-7), and Rollins (13-8). 

The Lady Pacers are 1-1 versus the top 10 region teams this year, suffering a 3-1 loss to Catawba on September 1, while handing Wingate its only loss of the season, a 3-2 decision on September 8 in Aiken.  USCA has two more matches scheduled against regionally-ranked teams: at Wingate on October 17 and home against Tusculum on October 20.  

USC Aiken, a participant in the 2006 NCAA Tournament, currently leads the Peach Belt Conference race heading into a big weekend with two road league contests.  Riding a 12-game win streak, the program’s longest in 16 years, the Lady Pacers will play at Francis Marion tonight at 7:00 PM before traveling to Pembroke, N.C. for a showdown with second-place UNC Pembroke on Saturday at 5:00 PM.  USCA has won five-straight road conference matches.

NCAA Division II Volleyball
South Region Poll--#1
October 10, 2007

1. Tampa............................18-0            11-0            --
2. Florida Southern.............15-6            8-3            --
3. Eckerd............................15-5            11-4            --
4. Wingate...........................21-1            21-1            --
5. Nova Southeastern.........16-6            12-3            --
6. Catawba..........................20-4            18-4            --
7. USC Aiken......................16-3            14-3            --
8. Tusculum.........................18-6            16-5            --
9. Lynn.................................10-7            6-5            --
10. Rollins.............................13-8            8-5            --