Volleyball Picked First in Conference USA Pre-Season
August 19, 2002 | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 19, 2002
CHICAGO, Ill. - The Conference USA volleyball coaches have selected Louisville as preseason favorite to win the 2002 C-USA Championship. The Cardinals return four starters, including preseason all-league selection SONJA PERCAN, from a club that made its fourth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance last season. South Florida's MICHELLE COLLIER, who set the C-USA career record for kills average (5.69) and ranked second with 1,999 career kills on the C-USA all-time kill list, is slated as the 2002 Player of the Year.
Cincinnati, who claimed the 2001 regular season title, is picked to finish second in Conference USA this fall as the Bearcats aim for an unprecedented eighth straight 20-win season and a fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. BONITA WISE is a preseason all-league selection and one of four starters returning for the Bearcats. She ranked fourth in Conference USA blocks (1.12) and eighth in hitting percentage (.305) last season.
South Florida ranks third in the preseason poll, after finishing the 2001 season with a 21-8 overall record marking its second straight 20-win season under head coach NANCY MUELLER. Along with Collier, ALESSANDRA DOMINGOS earned preseason all-conference honors. She finished third in the conference with 12.99 assists per game last season. Saint Louis follows in fourth place with preseason all-league honoree COLLEEN HUNTER expected to lead the Billikens. Hunter finished the season ranked third in the league and 11th in the nation in 2001 with 5.11 kills per game.
The Houston Cougars are slated to finish fifth. Senior JENNY TANNEBERGER, who led Houston with 1.02 blocks (1.02) and a .348 hitting percentage last season, is a preseason all-league choice. The Tulane Green Wave, with the return of six starters, including 2001 C-USA All-Freshman honoree ANASTASIA KENON, are picked sixth in the preseason poll. Kenon finished the season ranked fourth in C-USA with 3.47 digs per game. DePaul is slated to finish seventh. The Blue Demons captured their first C-USA Tournament title and notched a 24-9 overall record and 11-5 league mark last season.
Under new head coach PATI ROLF, Marquette returns six letterwinners from last year's squad that finished with a 19-13 overall record. Charlotte's COURTNEY BURG, a second-league All-Conference last season, is one of four starters in the 49ers' lineup for 2002. East Carolina returns six letterwinners in hopes of improving upon last year's 9-23 overall record. UAB also has a veteran club with nine returning letterwinners and four starters.
Memphis, who posted its best record since the 1994 season with a 22-10 record in 2001, heads into this season looking to replace four starters. At TCU, head coach PRENTICE LEWIS will begin her first season at the helm, while Southern Miss welcomes back five starters, including lone senior Crystal Zane. Zane is only 441 assists from becoming USM's all-time leader.
With nine first team All-Conference performers returning this fall, Conference USA Volleyball looks for another outstanding season of play. Last year, the league had three teams advance to the NCAA Tournament, marking the fourth straight year that C-USA has sent at least three teams to postseason play. The Conference USA Television Network will showcase the C-USA Tournament championship game on Monday, Nov. 25 at 8 p.m. (EST).
2002 CONFERENCE USA PRESEASON POLL 1. Louisville (26-7, 13-3 in 2001) 2. Cincinnati (23-8, 14-2) 3. South Florida, (21-9, 13-3) 4. Saint Louis (13-14, 8-8) 5. Houston (16-11, 12-4) 6. Tulane (16-14, 7-9) 7. DePaul (24-9, 11-5) 8. Marquette (19-13, 9-7) 9. Charlotte (15-15, 5-11) 10. East Carolina (8-21, 3-13) 11. UAB (12-17, 3-13) 12. Memphis (22-10, 7-9) 13. TCU (7-21, 3-13) 14. Southern Miss (9-19, 4-12)ALL-LEAGUE TEAM Michelle Collier, South Florida* Alessandra Domingos, South Florida Colleen Hunter, Saint Louis Sonja Percan, Louisville Jenny Tanneberger, Houston Bonita Wise, Cincinnati
* Preseason Player of the Year
