Monday, August 7, 2006
SAC COACHES PICK BLUE HOSE VOLLEYBALL SECOND
CLINTON, S.C. – Presbyterian College’s volleyball team was picked to finish second in the South Atlantic Conference announced by league officials on Monday. The league’s eight head coaches voted on the preseason poll.
PC has
won the past three regular season titles and the past two
conference tournament championships. The Lady Blue Hose,
who received 50 points, will be under the leadership of
first-year head coach Chris Belshe as
he takes over a talented team with three preseason
All-SAC selections. The 2006 SAC Freshman of the Year,
Rachel Lewis (Bloomington, Ill.), who led the conference in
assists with 1,719 (13.22 per game) last season, was named
to the first team along with teammate Lauren Mason
(pictured) (Peachtree City, Ga.).
Justine
Lanchester was a second team selection for PC.
Last season, the Lady Blue Hose finished 32-5 with a 14-0 mark in league play. PC led the conference with four All-SAC picks and also had the Coach of the Year in Ed Allen and the Player of the Year in Jasmin Brown.
Wingate, which has made two trips to the NCAA Tournament in the last three years, is the unanimous pick to win the 2006 SAC title. Wingate received all eight first-place votes and 64 total points. The Bulldogs placed four on the preseason All-Conference team. Rebecca Brezovec, who led the conference in blocks and was second in hitting percentage and kills, was selected to the first team, as was Molly Kerns, who was second in the league in blocks, and setter Melissa Deluca. Danielle Thompson was selected to the second team.
Carson-Newman, which finished third last season, is picked to finish third. The Lady Eagles placed a pair of players on the first team preseason All-Conference team in Kari Gibson and Kelli Sorensen. Lenoir-Rhyne College, the 2004 season co-champions, is picked to finish fourth with 37 points, the spot where the Bears finished last season. Catherine Fulton was named to the preseason All-Conference first team at libero, while Kathryn Phillips was selected to the second team.
Newberry is the preseason pick to finish in fifth place, receiving 33 points. Cara Coleman was named to the preseason All-SAC second team. Catawba College received 30 points for sixth place in the poll. The Catawba Indians placed a pair on the preseason All-SAC second team in Andi Henderson and Melissa Griffith.
Tusculum received 18 points for seventh place. Mars Hill rounds out the poll with 12 points and placed two on the preseason All-SAC second team in libero Tiffany Oreka and Rebekka Brown.
The 2006 volleyball season begins Friday, Aug. 25 with five of the league’s teams in action. Lincoln Memorial, the newest member of the South Atlantic Conference, will not be eligible for the conference championship or awards this season.
The Food Lion SAC Tournament will be held at Wingate University on Friday, Nov. 3, with the finals on Saturday, Nov. 4. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid into the NCAA Division II Tournament.
2006 SAC PRESEASON VOLLEYBALL POLL
1.
Wingate 64 (8)
2.
Presbyterian 50
3. Carson-Newman 44
4. Lenoir-Rhyne
37
5. Newberry 33
6.
Catawba 30
7.
Tusculum 18
8. Mars Hill 12
(First place votes in parenthesis)
2006
SAC PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
FIRST TEAM
Kari Gibson, Carson-Newman
Kelli Sorensen, Carson-Newman
Rebecca Brezovec, Wingate
Molly Kerns, Wingate
Catherine Fulton, Lenoir-Rhyne (Libero)
Lauren Mason, Presbyterian
Rachel Lewis, Presbyterian
Melissa Deluca, Wingate
SECOND
TEAM
Andi Henderson, Catawba
Melissa Griffith, Catawba
Kathryn Phillips, Lenoir-Rhyne
Cara Coleman, Newberry
Tiffany Oreka, Mars Hill (Libero)
Rebekka Brown, Mars Hill
Justine Lanchester,
Presbyterian
Danielle Thompson, Wingate