Volleyball Picked Fourth In ACC Coaches Preseason Poll

Aug. 7, 2003

GREENSBORO, NC – The Clemson volleyball team was picked to finish fourth in the ACC, as determined by a vote of the league’s nine head coaches. This is the Tigers’ highest ACC preseason ranking since the 2000 season when Clemson was also picked fourth. The defending ACC Tournament Champion Georgia Tech was selected as the top pick for the upcoming season with 81 points, and Duke was second with 68 points. North Carolina tallied 65 points for third, Clemson was picked fourth (48 points) and Florida State ranks fifth (41 points). Wake Forest is sixth (36 points), Virginia was picked seventh with 22 points and NC State rounds out the league with 10 points.

The Tigers return five starters from the 2002 team, including All-East Region middle hitter Lori Ashton, middle hitter Marija Zoric, outside hitters Ryane Beasley and Leslie Finn, as well as right-side hitter Kristin Swanson who earned ACC All-Freshman team honors in 2002. Last season, Clemson finished fifth in the league with a 17-15 overall record and an 8-8 mark in ACC play.

2003 ACC Volleyball Preseason Poll

   School              Points        2002 Record/Finish1. Georgia Tech (9)      81          33-6, 13-3 ACC/2nd2. Duke                  68          24-10, 11-5 ACC/3rd3. North Carolina        65          32-4, 15-1 ACC/1st4. Clemson               48          17-15, 8-8 ACC/5th5. Florida State         41          21-13, 10-6 ACC/4th6. Wake Forest           36          14-18, 6-10 ACC/7th7. Maryland              34          18-14, 7-9 ACC/6th8. Virginia              22           9-25, 2-14 ACC/8th9. NC State              10           3-32, 0-16 ACC/9th