SFA Named 2018 Southland Favorite in League's Preseason Poll
8/20/2018 10:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Ladyjacks secure 14 of 26 first-place votes in league's preseason poll
Complete Southland Conference Release
FRISCO, Texas - After hoisting the Southland Conference regular season championship trophy in 2017 for the ninth time in program history, the league's head coaches and media relations personnel envision a repeat of that feat in 2018 for the Stephen F. Austin volleyball team.
In the Southland Conference's 2018 Preseason Volleyball Poll which was released Monday morning, SFA was listed in the top spot. The preseason poll is voted on by head coaches and SIDs from each Southland volleyball institution. Voting for one's own team is not permitted.
Of the 26 first-place votes up for grabs, SFA amassed 14 of them to edge out last season's Southland Conference Tournament victor Central Arkansas for the top spot in the league's preseason poll. In all, the Ladyjacks totaled 276 total points in the league's preseason ranking while Central Arkansas gathered 270.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (208 points), Houston Baptist (201 points) and Abilene Christian (197 points) rounded out the top five teams on the list. The only other squad to earn a first-place vote other than SFA and Central Arkansas was Northwestern State (sixth place, 196 points).
Following a 15-match non-conference slate which runs from the end of August through the middle of September, SFA begins its defense of last season's Southland Conference regular season crown by playing four straight league home contests. In a scheduling quirk, three of the Ladyjacks' first four league tilts pit them against teams who appeared in the top four of the league's preseason poll.
Friday night at 7:00 p.m., the Ladyjacks begin their 2018 campaign in Memphis, Tenn., as one of four teams in the Memphis Invitational. Inside the Elma Roane Fieldhouse that night, SFA will take on host Memphis to begin its season.
Stay Social
Leading up to the Ladyjacks' season opener, throughout the season and in the offseason, be sure to follow SFA Volleyball on various social media platforms for all the latest news, facts and insights about the team. To increase your involvement with SFA Volleyball and all of SFA Athletics, join the SFA Varsity Club.
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Website | SFAJacks.com
2018 Southland Conference Volleyball Preseason Poll
Place. Team (First-place votes) | Total Points
1. Stephen F. Austin (14) | 276
2. Central Arkansas (11) | 270
3. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi | 208
4. Houston Baptist | 201
5. Abilene Christian | 197
6. Northwestern State (1) | 196
7. Sam Houston State | 182
8. McNeese | 156
9. Incarnate Word | 97
10. New Orleans | 90
11. Lamar | 69
12. Nicholls | 54
13. Southeastern Louisiana | 32
-SFA-
