ROCK HILL,SC--Winthrop's volleyball team has been picked to finish third out of eight schools in the 2010 Big South Conference preseason poll as voted on by the league's head coaches and senior outside hitter Kaley Viola from Orlando, FL was chosen on the preseason All-Conference Team, it was announced on Wednesday by the conference office.
Coach Sally Polhamus' Eagles finished third a year ago after compiling an 11-5 conference record. Winthrop finished 19-11 overall after being eliminated in the first round of the Big South tournament by Charleston Southern.
Defending conference champion Coastal Carolina was picked to finish first this year and the Chanticleers' Chelsey Kimes was voted the League's Preseason Player of the Year.
Coastal Carolina, under the direction of 12th-year head coach Kristen Bauer, garnered four first-place votes and 74 points. The Chanticleers finished ahead of Liberty in the poll as the Lady Flames notched two top votes and 71 points in the voting. Winthrop received two No. 1 votes and 64 points. High Point landed in the fourth position as it collected one top nod and 51 points. In fifth was UNC Asheville with 44 points, followed by Charleston Southern with 36 points and Presbyterian College with 32 points. Gardner-Webb was selected to finish eighth as it totaled 20 points and rounding out the list was Radford with 13 points.
Joining Kimes and Viola on the Preseason All-Big South team are Coastal's Megan Bickford, as well as Kelsey Benorden from UNC Asheville, Amanda Hill of Charleston Southern, Liberty's Karyl Bacon, and Julie Hershkowitz of High Point.
The 2010 Big South volleyball season begins Friday, August 27, when Winthrop opens play in the Tribe Invitational, hosted by William & Mary, in Williamsburg, VA. Winthrop will make its home debut on Sept. 3-4 when it hosts the Carolina Challenge which includes South Carolina, Clemson and the College of Charleston. The Eagles will also serve as the host team for the Big South Conference Championship that is slated for Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 18-20.
