August 09, 2004
The Texas A&M volleyball team is ranked No. 15 in the USA Today/CSTV Volleyball Top 25 Coaches Preseason Poll, the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced Monday.
"It is an honor to be considered that strong after losing three starters from last year's team that finished No. 16," A&M coach Laurie Corbelli said.
The ranking marks A&M's third highest preseason ranking in the history of the poll, which began in 1982. The Aggies were ranked an all-time high No. 13 in the 1997 preseason poll, while the 1985 squad began the season at No. 14.
Two-time defending national champion USC is the top ranked team, receiving 56 of 65 first-place votes. Big 12-foe Nebraska received five first-place votes and is No. 2. UCLA, which plays A&M at G. Rollie White Coliseum on Saturday, Sept. 4, is No. 3. Florida and Minnesota round out the top five.
Big 12 defending champion and 14th-ranked Kansas State joins Nebraska and Texas A&M as the three representatives from the Big 12 ranked in the preseason Top 25. In addition, four Big 12 teams received points and are listed No. 34 or above. Texas is listed No. 30, followed by Kansas and Missouri. Colorado is listed No. 34.
"The national poll reflects a wide variety of teams from around the country, and seven teams from the Big 12 are ranked or receiving points and being considered nationally strong," Corbelli said. "That reflects a very tough conference battle, more competitive than any years past. Because we don't have a conference tournament, we have only one shot at a conference title, so every match is important."
The Aggies, who were listed No. 31 in the 2003 preseason poll, are slated to play seven matches against teams ranked in the Top 25 preseason poll, including non-conferences matches against No. 10 California, which received one first-place vote, and No. 16 UC Santa Barbara. In addition, A&M plays eight matches against teams receiving points.
"Our first hurdle will be a tough pre-conference schedule with three matches against other top 15 teams," Corbelli said. "Hopefully that will prepare us for the always challenging Big 12 round-robin schedule.
"We have our work cut out for us. We plan on being ready and prepared to take on this great challenge."
Senior all-American outside hitter/middle blocker Melissa Munsch highlights A&M's list of eight returning letterwinners from last year's team that advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen and ranked No. 16 in the final poll with a 23-10 record. Other starters returning are all-Big 12 honorable mention outside hitter Laura Jones and middle blocker Kendra Felder.
A&M opens the season against Bethune-Cookman on Sept. 2 at the three-day, seven-team McDonald's/Texas A&M Invitational at G. Rollie White Coliseum.