Bucs' volleyball picked to finish fifth by A-Sun coaches

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Jennifer Emerson and Sarah Buhr are two of the Lady Bucs' four seniors leading ETSU into the 2006 season.

Monday, August 14, 2006

MACON, Ga. (August 14, 2006) - Entering their second season in the Atlantic Sun, the Volley Bucs have been picked to finish fifth by the conference coaches with Belmont and North Florida selected to tie for the top spot. Belmont was picked to take the tournament crown, as North Florida remains ineligible for postseason play while completing its transition from Division II to Division I.

North Florida and Belmont deadlocked at 94 points total and five first place votes apiece, tying for the predicted top regular season finish. Lipscomb, Jacksonville and ETSU rounded out the top-five with Mercer and Campbell selected to finish sixth and seventh and round out the tournament field.

ETSU posted an18-14 record a year ago, its first winning campaign since 2001, and with five starters returning the Bucs will look to improve on their seventh place conference finish.

The 12-member league headquartered in Macon, Ga., consists of Belmont, Campbell, ETSU, Gardner-Webb, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, Mercer, UNF and Stetson with Florida Gulf Coast and USC Upstate beginning competition in 2007-08.

2006 A-Sun Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll


#	School (1st Place Vote)	Points
1t.	Belmont (5)	94
1t.	UNF (5)	94
3.	Lipscomb	73
4.	Jacksonville	68
5.	ETSU	62
6.	Mercer	50
7.	Campbell	35
8.	Stetson	33
9.	Kennesaw State	24
10.	Gardner-Webb	17