ACC Preseason Volleyball Picks Announced Tuesday

Aug. 8, 2006

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Clemson volleyball team was selected to finish eighth in the upcoming 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference season in a poll of the league’s 12 head coaches. Duke was tabbed as the preseason favorite, earning eight first-place votes. The Blue Devils return 11 players from last year’s squad that posted a 24-8 overall record, a third-place finish in the ACC and made its fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament in the last six years.

Virginia is predicted to finish second in the ACC race this year, as the Cavaliers earned three first-place votes (127 points). Georgia Tech, an NCAA participant the last four seasons, collected the remaining first-place vote to place third with 114 points.

The league’s head coaches voted the 2005 co-regular season champions North Carolina and Maryland fourth and fifth, respectively, in this year’s preseason poll with Florida State given the nod for sixth. The Tar Heels tallied 103 points, while Maryland picked up 98 points and FSU had 83.

Rounding out spots seven through 12 are Miami (73), Clemson (66), Wake Forest (59), Virginia Tech (33), Boston College (24) and NC State (17).

The ACC also announced the 2006 preseason all-conference team with Tigers Jeannette Abbott and Brittany Ross receiving the honor. Ross, a junior from Sunrise, FL, was also named to the 2005 preseason All-ACC team and earned a second-team selection after recorded 525 kills last year. Abbott is the reigning ACC Freshman of the Year, as the Downers Grove, IL native set the Clemson freshman record for kills in season with 515.

2006 ACC Volleyball Preseason Poll

Rank	School	(Points)	2005 Record
1.	Duke (8)	139	24-8
2.	Virginia (3)	127	20-11
3.	Georgia Tech (1)	114	16-15
4.	North Carolina	103	23-10
5.	Maryland	98	28-5
6.	Florida State	83	13-17
7.	Miami	73	16-14
8.	Clemson	66	12-18
9.	Wake Forest	59	17-14
10.	Virginia Tech	33	13-18
11.	Boston College	24	9-22
12.	NC State	17	7-23

2006 ACC Volleyball Preseason All-ACC Team

Jeannette Abbott, Clemson Allison Anderson, Boston College Amy Beaver, North Carolina Jade Brown, Maryland Carrie DeMange, Duke Katie Esbrook, Virginia Tech Beth Gillming, Maryland Ali Hausfeld, Duke Talisa Kellogg, Georgia Tech Emily Kirkwood, Virginia Sarah Kirkwood, Viriginia Natalie Mullikin, Wake Forest Jill Robinson, Miami Brittany Ross, Clemson Francheska Savage, Miami Jenny Shull, Duke Ulrike Stegemann, Georgia Tech Makini Thompson, Florida State.