Aug. 18, 2009

2009 Southland Conference Volleyball Preseason Teams and Polls

ARLINGTON, Texas - The Southland Conference announced its 2009 volleyball preseason coaches and sports information directors polls and preseason All-Conference teams on Tuesday, as two Mavericks were named to the All-Conference teams and UT Arlington was picked to finish eighth in the 12-team conference with a predicted fifth-place finish in the Western Division.

Sophomore outside hitter Amanda Aguilera (Pearland, Texas) was named a first team preseason selection after becoming the first Maverick freshmen since 1993 to be selected first-team All-Conference last season. Aguilera led the SLC in kills per set (3.68) and double-doubles (10) during league play.

Junior outside hitter Bianca Sauls (Pflugerville, Texas) was tabbed second team preseason All-Conference after missing 18 matches due to an injury during her sophomore season. In the matches she did play, Sauls was a standout making two All-Tournament Teams at the North Texas Mean Green Classic (Aug. 29-30) and University of San Francisco Asics/Powerade Challenge (Sept. 5-6). Sauls ranked third on the team averaging 2.13 kills per set and led the team with a .303 hitting percentage.

As a freshman in 2007, Sauls led the team averaging 3.04 kills per set and she ranked second on the team with 271 kills.

The Mavericks received 62 points in the coaches poll and 60 points in the SID poll ranking them fifth in the West and eighth overall in both preseason polls.

Defending regular season champion Texas State led both polls in total points and first-place votes. The Bobcats, who were the preseason favorite in 2008, received 129 points (6 first-place votes) in the coaches poll and tallied 122 points and five first-place votes from the SIDs.

Trailing Texas State in the coaches poll was Central Arkansas (118 points, 4 first-place votes) and defending SLC Tournament champion Lamar (112 points, 2 first-place votes), who were the only other teams to receive a first-place vote in the coaches poll.

The SID poll saw five teams receive a first-place vote with Texas State (5), Central Arkansas (3), Lamar (2), Stephen F. Austin (1) and UTSA (1) all receiving at least one vote for the top spot.

2009 SLC Volleyball Preseason Polls

COACHES POLL

Western Division
1. Texas State (6) 129
2. Lamar (2) 112
3. UTSA 106
4. Sam Houston State 75
5. UT Arlington 62
6. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 30

Eastern Division
1. Central Arkansas (4) 118
2. Stephen F. Austin 97
3. McNeese State 75
4. Northwestern State 47
5. Nicholls 38
6. Southeastern Louisiana 35

SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECTORS

Western Division
1. Texas State (5) 122
2. Lamar (2) 114
3. UTSA (1) 100
4. Sam Houston State 78
5. UT Arlington 60
6. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 30

Eastern Division
1. Central Arkansas (3) 112
2. Stephen F. Austin (1) 110
3. McNeese State 73
4. Northwestern State 54
5. Southeastern Louisiana 41
6. Nicholls 40