2010 Great West Conference Volleyball Preseason Poll
CHICAGO – Chicago State University (CSU) volleyball was picked seventh in the second-annual Great West Conference preseason poll, the league announced Thursday in a press release. The Cougars received seven points in the poll that was voted on by the conference's seven head coaches.
Defending GWC regular season and tournament champion North Dakota was selected as the preseason favorite to win the title after gaining five first-place votes and 47 points, edging second place Utah Valley by three points. UVU also gained a pair of first-place votes in the poll and South Dakota was picked third with 33 points.
NJIT was placed fourth with 23 points just slipping past fifth-place finisher Houston Baptist by one point while Texas-Pan American captured sixth with 20 points.
For the second year of conference play, the Great West regular season title will be decided via a double round-robin schedule followed with CSU hosting the conference championship tournament on Nov. 18-20 at the Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center. All seven teams are eligible for the tournament with the regular season titlist receiving a bye into the semifinals.
The Cougars, who enter their first season under new head coach Bob Eskew, return five players and three starters from last season's team that includes senior setter Hanya Minta (Eden Prairie, MN/Eden Prairie) (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and junior outside hitter/middle hitter Mazvita Maziveyi (Harare, Zimbabwe/Hillside (NC)) (Durham, N.C.).
Chicago State opens the season with a pair of matches tomorrow in the NIU Invitational at Victor E. Court in DeKalb, Ill. CSU battles the host Huskies at 12 p.m. and returns later in the afternoon versus College of Charleston at 5 p.m. Live stats for the tournament can be accessed at http://www.niuhuskies.com/sports/w-volley/niu-w-volley-body.html
~CSU~
