Three Votes Separate RMC and BC for Second Place
SALEM, Va. --- Washington & Lee
University received ten first place votes and 120 poll points as
the Generals were picked first by the league's coaches in the 2008
ODAC Volleyball Preseason Poll. Randolph-Macon College
collected 98 points for second place and Bridgewater College
recorded 95 points to round out the top three selections.
Virginia Wesleyan College received the final first place nod and
finished with 97 total points.
Washington and Lee won its seventh straight and 11th
overall ODAC title last season, earning the Generals an automatic
bid into the NCAA tournament. The Generals traveled to
Sherman, Texas, for regional play, where they fell 3-0 to
Southwestern University in the first round.
Washington and Lee (29-6 overall, 9-1 ODAC in 2007) returns several
top players to its squad including three All-ODAC first team
selections. Senior outside hitter Laura Maurer ranked third
in the league last season in kills with 369 and eighth in digs with
3.92 per game. Senior right side Jessica Ulrich sat seventh
in the league in hitting percentage (.273) and recorded 53 service
aces and 320 digs. Junior outside hitter Rachael Phillips
ranked near the top in several statistical categories including
second in kills (396, 4.12 per game) and fourth in hitting
percentage (.314).
Randolph-Macon (11-16, 6-4) entered the 2007 ODAC Championship as
the sixth seed. The Yellow Jackets defeated #3 Virginia
Wesleyan 3-2 in the quarterfinal round before falling 3-0 in the
semifinals to eventual ODAC champion, Washington and Lee.
R-MC returns All-ODAC second team selection, middle hitter April
Hines. Hines finished the season with 231 kills, 38 service
aces, 111 digs and 99 blocks. The Yellow Jackets also welcome
back senior middle hitter Kendra Smith, who recorded 83 total
blocks last season at 1.30 per game, good enough for second in the
league.
Bridgewater (31-2, 10-2) will be under new direction with Greg
Spector taking over for long-time mentor, Mary Frances
Heishman. The Eagles will also have to replace the production
of 2007 ODAC Player of the Year, Marsha Hermes. First team
middle hitter, junior Erika Dirnagl, ranked second in league last
season in hitting percentage (.330) and service aces (73, 0.67 per
game) while placing fifth in kills (334, 3.06 per game).
Classmate Tricia Davis, a second-team selection at setter, led the
conference in assists with 1,365 (12.41 per game). Junior
Mandy Hill returns to the middle of the net after tallying 124
blocks last season, good enough for third in the league.
Virginia Wesleyan (17-14, 7-3) lost first team setter Grace Geralds
to graduation, but the Marlins return the ODAC Rookie of the Year,
Rebecca Leedom and second team selection, Debbie Sterne.
Leedom will be a key performer on the outside after recording 331
kills, 53 service aces and 427 digs during her first season with
the Marlins. Sterne, a junior middle hitter, ranked fourth in
kills (364, 3.11 per game) and blocks (126, 1.08 per game) a year
ago. The Marlins will also look for help from sophomore
setter Marissa Wood, who ranked seventh in the league in service
aces last season with 59.
The 2008 campaign gets underway on Friday, August 29. The
2008 ODAC Championship will be held Friday and Saturday, November
7-8, at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia.
Listed below is the 2008 ODAC Volleyball Preseason Poll. For
more information on ODAC volleyball, visit www.odaconline.com or any of the
competing schools' websites.
2008 ODAC Volleyball Preseason Poll
(#) Denotes first place votes
1. Washington & Lee |
120 (10) |
2. Randolph-Macon |
98 |
3. Bridgewater |
95 |
4. Virginia Wesleyan |
94 (1) |
5. Roanoke |
76 |
6. Lynchburg |
71 |
7. Emory & Henry |
60 |
8. Eastern Mennonite |
41 |
9. Guilford |
30 |
10. Randolph |
24 |
11. Sweet Briar |
17 |