NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- A pair of preseason volleyball polls were released today and Christopher Newport is situated right at the top of both. In the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Rankings, the Captains were pegged as the fourth best team in the nation, the highest national ranking in program history. The USA South Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll was also released, with CNU picked to repeat as conference champs.
The AVCA Division III Coaches Preseason Top 25 lists CNU higher than ever before, with 511 total points. Picked ahead of the Captains are 2010 national champions Calvin at number one, the #1 team in the nation that defeated CNU in the NCAA Elite Eight last year, Emory, at number two and the team that hosted and will host again the national championship, Washington St. Louis at number three. The Captains finished out the year ranked fifth in the national rankings.
CNU finished out 2010 with a program-best 38-3 overall record and for the fourth straight year, swept the USA South to improve their winning streak against league opponents to 80 straight victories. The Captains hosted their first ever NCAA Regional and took home their second straight regional title to advance to the NCAA Finals in St. Louis. It was the sixth NCAA appearance in the last seven years.
Head coach
Lindsay Birch graduated just two seniors from the talented bunch and returns a pair of All-Americans in setter
Jessie Heavenrich and libero
Abby Hogge. Heavenrich was the Conference Player of the Year and Hogge the Conference Libero of the Year in 2010. Picked behind the Captains in the USA South poll was the 2010 runner-up N.C. Wesleyan squad, followed by Averett, who picked up the lone remaining first place vote, as coaches can not vote for their own team.
The 2011 season and quest for a return trip to the NCAA Finals begins on Thursday, September 1 as the Captains play host to Hollins University at 7 pm in the Freeman Center.
2011 AVCA D3 Preseason Coaches Top 25
| Rank |
School (First-Place Votes) |
Total Pts |
2010 Record |
2010 Final Poll |
| 1. |
Calvin (23) |
599 |
32-4 |
1 |
| 2. |
Emory (1) |
577 |
36-4 |
2 |
| 3. |
Washington-St. Louis |
552 |
35-4 |
3 |
| 4. |
Christopher Newport |
511 |
38-3 |
5 |
| 5. |
Wittenberg |
490 |
32-3 |
6 |
| 6. |
Juniata |
463 |
34-6 |
4 |
| 7. |
Eastern (Pa.) |
453 |
30-5 |
8 |
| 8. |
Cal Lutheran |
428 |
29-4 |
13 |
| 9. |
Wisconsin-Platteville |
384 |
33-4 |
9 |
| 10. |
St. Thomas (Minn.) |
357 |
30-7 |
7 |
| 11. |
Carthage |
346 |
31-8 |
14 |
| 12. |
Heidelberg |
298 |
33-6 |
15 |
| 13. |
Colorado College |
273 |
30-7 |
16 |
| 14. |
Concordia (Minn.) |
254 |
24-7 |
20 |
| 15. |
Hope |
224 |
27-5 |
10 |
| 16. |
St. Olaf |
217 |
31-5 |
11 |
| 17. |
Southwestern (Texas) |
209 |
32-7 |
19 |
| 18. |
Whitworth |
171 |
18-7 |
24 |
| 19. |
UMass-Boston |
150 |
30-5 |
17 |
| 20. |
Wisconsin-Eau Claire |
126 |
25-10 |
18 |
| 21. |
NYU |
115 |
38-6 |
12 |
| 22. |
Puget Sound |
109 |
18-7 |
NR |
| 23. |
Occidental |
101 |
25-8 |
NR |
| 24. |
Wisconsin-Whitewater |
93 |
28-9 |
21 |
| 25. |
Chicago |
79 |
30-13 |
NR |
2011 USA South Preseason Poll - Volleyball
| Team (First Place Votes) |
Total Pts |
| 1. Christopher Newport (9) |
81
|
| 2. N.C. Wesleyan |
65 |
| 3. Averett (1) |
64 |
| 4. Greensboro |
59 |
| 5. Methodist |
56 |
| T6. Meredith |
35 |
| T6. Peace |
35 |
| 8. Shenandoah |
29 |
| 9. Ferrum |
15 |
| 10. Mary Baldwin |
11 |
