Ladyjacks Favored in Preseason Polls
8/7/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 7, 2006
FRISCO, Texas - With twelve teams and a two-division format, the Southland Conference volleyball season should have a different look in 2006. But the top of the preseason polls still looks exactly the same. The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks were chosen by both league head coaches and sports information directors to repeat as conference champions in the polls, released by league officials Monday. SFA was also the top team in both preseason polls last year.
The Ladyjacks received six first-place votes and 116 points in the poll of league head coaches and earned eight first-place votes and 139 points in the sports information directors' poll. SLC West Division foes Texas State and Texas-San Antonio were the only other teams to earn first-place votes and finished second and third, respectively, in both polls.
Of the two divisions, SFA's West looks to be the tougher. In addition to taking all the first-place votes in both polls, the West Division's Top 4 teams each earned more points in the polls than did McNeese State, the top-ranked team in the East Division. Sam Houston State was ranked fourth in both polls.
Coach Debbie Humphreys' Ladyjacks are coming off their second straight SLC Championship run. SFA posted a 28-3 overall mark and went a perfect 19-0 in league play last season. The Ladyjacks open the 2006 season Aug. 25 against California-Riverside, in the New Mexico Tournament.
- SFA -
Coaches Poll SID Poll West Division West Division Stephen F. Austin (6) 116 Stephen F. Austin (8) 139 Texas State (4) 111 Texas State (2) 129 Texas-San Antonio (2) 106 Texas-San Antonio (2) 125 Sam Houston State 81 Sam Houston State 98 Texas-Arlington 63 Texas-Arlington 72 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 43 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 43 East Division East Division McNeese State 76 McNeese State 94 Lamar 70 Lamar 84 Northwestern State 48 Northwestern State 59 Southeastern Louisiana 31 Southeastern Louisiana 34 Nicholls State 25 Nicholls State 30 Central Arkansas 22 Central Arkansas 28
