AUGUSTA, Ga. - The
Augusta State Volleyball squad has been picked to finish third in
the Peach Belt Conference, according to the preseason poll recently
released from the league office. The voting was done by the PBC's
eight head coaches.
The Jaguars are entering their 26th season overall and second
under head coach Sharon Bonaventure. In 2009, the Jags posted a
22-12 record, including a 9-5 league mark. The victory total marked
the second-most in school history and represented the second-best
turnaround in a single season.
ASU returns four starters but must fill the void left by the
graduation of Jessica Howard, the 2009 PBC Player-of-the-Year as a
senior and the first player in program history to be named an
All-American. The Jags are also expecting contributions from each
of their four newcomers, including freshman setter Lisa
Bartsch from Leverkusen, Germany.
Flagler was the unanimous pick to win the league after posting a
36-9 record and advancing to the Final Four in 2009 in the first
season as a member of the PBC. The Saints posted a 13-1 league
record en route to winning the regular season and tournament
championships.
Armstrong Atlantic State was picked to finish ahead of ASU, while
the Jags and Montevallo were tabbed third. Lander and USC Aiken
tied for fifth, followed by Francis Marion and UNC Pembroke.
The 2010 volleyball season begins on Friday, Sept. 3 with the bulk
of conference play starting Sept. 17. The season will conclude with
the PBC Tournament Nov. 12-14 at Armstrong Atlantic State in
Savannah, Ga.
Below is the 2010 PBC Volleyball Preseason Poll. Coaches were not
permitted to vote for their own teams.
2010 Peach Belt Conference Volleyball Preseason Poll
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th Total
1. Flagler 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 49
2. Armstrong Atlantic State 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 43
3. AUGUSTA STATE 0 1 2 1 1 1 1 26
3. Montevallo 0 0 3 2 0 2 1 26
5. Lander 0 0 1 2 4 0 0 25
5. USC Aiken 0 1 1 1 2 2 0 25
7. Francis Marion 0 0 1 2 1 2 1 21
8. UNC Pembroke 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 9