Volleyball again ranked preseason No. 1
For the third straight year, the volleyball team was voted No. 1 in the 2005 CSTV/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Preseason Coaches Poll, as announced by the AVCA.
It marks the fifth straight year and the 13th time in the previous 16 years that WUSTL has earned the No. 1 ranking at some point in a season.
WUSTL tallied 584 total points in the poll, including eight first-place votes, putting it five points ahead of Juniata College (579), the 2004 national champion. University Athletic Association rivals New York University (third, 519 points) and Emory University (fifth, 471 points) give the conference three teams in the top five. Wittenberg University (485 points) checks in at No. 4.
The Bears finished the 2004 season with a 32-7 record, advancing to the national championship match for the 11th time in school history and third straight year. The Bears, who finished the year ranked second in the country, were also crowned UAA champions for the 16th consecutive year after posting a 7-0 conference mark in regular-season play and a 5-0 record in championship play.
WUSTL, which is scheduled to play eight of the nine other preseason top-10 teams, opens 2005 by hosting the WUSTL Classic today and Sept. 3. The Bears play Dominican University at 5:15 p.m. today at the Field House to kick off a season-opening string of 11 straight home matches.