Coaches' Poll Tabs Kats 6th In Preseason Poll
8/7/2015 8:13:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sam Houston has been predicted to finish sixth in the upcoming 2015 Southland Conference volleyball race according to the annual preseason poll of the league's head coaches.
Stephen F. Austin is the top pick in the poll. The Jacks will be attempting to repeat as titlists after a perfect 16-0 conference mark and 24-8 record for the year.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi has been picked second. Last season, the Islanders went 19-16 overall and 11-5 in conference play, completing their third consecutive season with 10 or more league wins.
Central Arkansas was selected to finish third in the coaches' poll. The Bears recorded an impressive 13-3 conference record in 2014.
Houston Baptist in fourth place is followed in the predictions by last year's Southland post-season tournament champion Northwestern State in fifth, Sam Houston in sixth, Southeastern Louisiana in seventh, Lamar in eighth and McNeese State and Incarnate Word tied for ninth. Nicholls, Abilene Christian and New Orleans round out the Southland preseason poll.
ACU and UIW are in their third year of transition from Division II and will be ineligible for postseason play.
While seven letter winners return from last year's Bearkat squad that finished third in the 2014 Southland standings, this year's Sam Houston team is a young group with no seniors and seven freshmen on the roster.
Leadership will come from juniors Shelby Genung, Michelle Griffith, Breanna Homer and Claire Kilpatrick
The 2015 Southland volleyball season begins Aug. 28 with conference play beginning Sept. 24. The conference tournament will be held Nov. 20-22 at the Farris Center on the campus of Central Arkansas in Conway, Ark.
Sam Houston opens the season Friday and Saturday August 28-29 with the annual Bearkat Volleyball Classic at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.
2015 Southland Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
|
Rk. |
School (first-place votes) |
PTS |
|
1. |
Stephen F. Austin (11) |
143 |
|
2. |
A&M-Corpus Christi (2) |
119 |
|
3. |
Central Arkansas |
118 |
|
4. |
Houston Baptist |
110 |
|
5. |
Northwestern State |
102 |
|
6. |
Sam Houston State |
93 |
|
7. |
Southeastern Louisiana |
68 |
|
8. |
Lamar |
61 |
|
T-9. |
McNeese State |
51 |
|
T-9. |
UIW |
51 |
|
11. |
Nicholls |
49 |
|
12. |
Abilene Christian |
37 |
|
13. |
New Orleans |
12 |
|
|
