Wednesday, August 15, 2007

MACON, Ga. (Aug. 15, 2007) - With the 2007 season rapidly approaching the Atlantic Sun Conference released its preseason poll Wednesday afternoon and the defending regular season champion Lady Bucs were picked to finish second.  The Volley Bucs also placed two players on the preseason all-conference team, seniors Kaena Apana (Waianae, Hawaii) and Callie Kiselich (Colorado Springs, Colo.).

ETSU and preseason conference favorite Belmont were the only two schools to land two players on the All-Atlantic Sun team with middle blocker Kiselich and libero Apana. Kiselich ranked in the top five in the A-Sun in hitting percentage (fourth, .348), and in kills per game (fifth, 3.48). Apana established a league record for digs in a three-game match with 31 on Oct. 21 against Lipscomb. She finished second to fellow first-team honoree, Ann Mullins of Lipscomb, in digs per game with 5.49.

Belmont was able to outdistance itself from the rest of the league in garnering half of the first-place votes. ETSU, the 2006 regular-season champion, finished second with Jacksonville taking third, each earning one first-place vote. League newcomer Florida Gulf Coast took in the second-most first place votes with three in placing fourth in the balloting. Lipscomb received the final first-place vote.

The Atlantic Sun Conference, headquartered in Macon, Ga., consists of Belmont, Campbell, ETSU, Florida Gulf Coast, Gardner-Webb, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, Mercer, UNF, Stetson, and USC Upstate.

The Lady Bucs open their 2007 campaign August 24 at the Georgia State Invitational against the host Panthers.

2007 A-Sun Preseason Coaches Poll

#          School (1st Place Vote)                   Points

1.         Belmont (6)                                         132

2.         ETSU (1)                                            117

3.         Jacksonville (1)                                   112

4.         Florida Gulf Coast (3)                         111

5.         UNF                                                     101

6.         Lipscomb (1)                                       99

T7.       Campbell                                             60

T7.       Mercer                                                 60

9.         Gardner-Webb                                    54

10.       Stetson                                                39

11.       Kennesaw State                                 26

12.       USC Upstate                                       25

Tournament Champion: Belmont

2007 A-Sun Preseason All-Conference Team

Pos.    Player (Yr.)                             School

MH       Femi Alabi (Jr.)                        Campbell

LIB      Kaena Apana (Sr.)                 ETSU

MB      Callie Kiselich (Sr.)               ETSU

LIB       Ann Mullins (Sr.)                      Lipscomb

S          Colleen Nilson (Sr.)                 Belmont

MH       Jaye Schuler (Sr.)                   Belmont

OH       Amy Stroder (Sr.)                    UNF

Preseason Player of the Year: Colleen Nilson, Setter, Belmont