Aug. 15, 2007

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The USC Upstate volleyball team was picked 12th in the Atlantic Sun Preseason Coaches' Poll, the conference office announced on Wednesday. Belmont, the 2006 A-Sun champ, was picked first in the poll and is predicted to be the tournament champion as well.

The Bears took home six first-place votes while East Tennessee State and Jacksonville each garnered one first place vote to finish second and third, respectively. Florida Gulf Coast is predicted to finish fourth, buoyed by three first-place votes.

North Florida (5), Lipscomb (6), Campbell (T-7), Mercer (T-7), Gardner-Webb (9), Stetson (10) and Kennesaw State (11) round out the poll.

Upstate, which is entering its first year of competition at the Division I level and in the Atlantic Sun Conference, went 23-11 last season at the Division II level under 12th-year head coach Jennifer Calloway. The Spartans finished 6-6 in the Peach Belt Conference and advanced to the tournament semifinals for the sixth straight season. Under Calloway, the Spartans have won 235 matches in 11 seasons and have won 20 matches in a season eight times.

Upstate will begin the Division I era by hosting the USC Upstate Volleyball Tournament on Aug. 24-25, beginning with a 2 p.m. contest against Savannah State on Friday, Aug. 24. The Spartans also host Navy (Fri., 7 p.m.) and Wofford (Sat., 7 p.m.) during the tournament.

Preseason Poll Results
1. Belmont (6) 132; 2. ETSU (1) 117; 3. Jacksonville (1) 112; 4. Florida Gulf Coast (3) 111; 5. North Florida 101; 6. Lipscomb (1) 99; T7. Campbell 60; T7. Mercer 60; 9. Gardner-Webb 54; 10. Stetson 39; 11. Kennesaw State 26; 12. USC Upstate 25. Tournament Winner: Belmont

Preseason All-Conference Team
MH Femi Alabi, Campbell; LIB Kaena Apana, ETSU; MB Callie Kiselich, ETSU; LIB Ann Mullins, Lipscomb; S Colleen Nilson, Belmont; MH Jaye Schuler, Belmont; OH Amy Stroder, UNF

Preseason Player of the Year
S Colleen Nilson, Belmont