Thursday, August 16, 2007

PIONEERS PICKED FOURTH IN SAC VOLLEYBALL POLL

ROCK HILL, S.C. --- The Tusculum College volleyball team has been picked to finish fourth in the South Atlantic Conference according to the 2007 Preseason SAC Coaches' Poll announced league officials Thursday.

The Pioneers received 43 total points, including a first place vote. Only four points separated the teams listed second through fourth.

Defending co-champion Wingate University received five first place votes and 60 total points and is the favorite according to a poll of the league's eight head coaches. Lenoir-Rhyne College, which has shared the conference crown in two of the past three seasons, is picked second with 47 points and a first place nod. Also receiving a first place vote and coming in at third is Catawba College. Catawba received 44 points.

Tusculum is fourth, followed by Carson-Newman College (35), Lincoln Memorial University (28), Newberry College (19) and Mars Hill College (12). LMU is competing for their first SAC Championship in volleyball.

Tusculum opens its season next weekend (Aug. 24-25) at the North Alabama Tournament in Florence, Ala. The Pioneers will face the host Lions next Friday (Aug. 24). UNA is ranked ninth in the nation. Tusculum will also face No. 8 Ashland University, Northern Kentucky University and the University of North Dakota in Florence.

- SAC -

2007 Preseason SAC Volleyball Coaches' Poll
Rk.	Team (1^st Place Votes)	Pts.
1	Wingate (5)	60
2	Lenoir-Rhyne (1)	47
3	Catawba (1)	44
4	TUSCULUM (1)	43
5	Carson-Newman	35
6	Lincoln Memorial	28
7	Newberry	19
8	Mars Hill	12