Aug. 20, 2001
NEW ORLEANS -
The University of Denver volleyball team, the reigning Sun Belt West Division Champion, has been selected by the league's coaches to defend its title according to the preseason poll released by the conference office today.
The Pioneers, who are under the direction of sixth-year head coach Beth Kuwata, claimed six out of the 11 available first-place votes to garner 55 total points, two more than New Mexico State. The Aggies received three first-place votes, ahead of Louisiana-Lafayette, New Orleans, North Texas and South Alabama.
In the East, 2000 co-champions Arkansas-Little Rock and Western Kentucky finished in a dead heat for the 2001 preseason crown. Both schools nabbed four first-place votes and 45 points, with Arkansas State earning the other three votes and 35 total points. Florida International and Middle Tennessee round out the East Division picks.
The top two teams in each division will receive first-round byes for the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, which the Pioneers will host in Hamilton Gymnasium from Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 14-17. The tournament champion will receive the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
In addition to the team predictions, the league released its preseason all-Sun Belt Conference team, and senior setter Clarice Golesh-Burch (Lakewood, Colo. / Mullen HS) was the lone setter named to the eight-person squad. A unanimous selection of the coaches to the 2000 All-SBC team, Golesh-Burch handed out 1,363 assists - the third-highest total in school history. She also had the rare distinction of leading the team in four of the five major statistical categories last year: hitting percentage (.323), assists, digs (319), and total blocks (112). She also led the team with 16 double-doubles and added the first two triple-doubles of her career.
The Pioneers begin the 2001 season in less than two weeks when they face Auburn to open the L&L Food Centers / Michigan State Volleyball Classic on Friday, August 31, in East Lansing, Mich.
2001 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Volleyball Poll
East Division Points (1st Place)
1. Arkansas-Little Rock 45 (4)
Western Kentucky 45 (4)
3. Arkansas State 35 (3)
4. Florida International 21
5. Middle Tennessee 19
West Division Points (1st Place)
1. DENVER 55 (6)
2. New Mexico State 53 (3)
3. Louisiana-Lafayette 48 (1)
4. New Orleans 40 (1)
5. North Texas 18
6. South Alabama 17
2001 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Team
Marijana Bego UALR MB Sr. 6-4
Natalie Furry WKU OH Sr. 6-0
Clarice Golesh-Burch Denver S Sr. 5-9
Nirvana Kos FIU OPP Jr. 6-2
Angela Lobendahn-Peterson NMSU OH Sr. 6-1
Corina Marginas UNT MB So. 6-1
Jelena Radovanovic UALR OH Sr. 5-11
Tara Thomas WKU OH Sr. 5-9
Sun Belt Conference Preseason Player of the Year:
Angela Lobendahn-Peterson, New Mexico State
