SCAC has three ranked in AVCA Preseason Top 25

SCAC has three ranked in AVCA Preseason Top 25

(Portions of this story were taken from the Colorado College and Trinity University websites)

LEXINGTON, Ky.
-  The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference had three teams ranked in the 2010 American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll, it was announced this afternoon by the AVCA headquarters. Colorado College is ranked fifth, Trinity University is 12th and reigning conference champion Southwestern University is ranked 16th.

DePauw University and Austin College also received votes in the preseason poll.

To view the complete AVCA Division III Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll, click here.

Defending national champion Washington University in St. Louis begins the 2010 volleyball season in the same position in which it exited last year - as the No. 1 team in the nation. The Bears snagged all 24 first-place votes.

Colorado College received the highest national ranking in the 31-year history of the program today, earning the No. 5 spot in the AVCA Top 25 Preseason Poll.
 
The Tigers finished the 2009 campaign ranked No. 7 after posting a 35-5 record and advancing to the national quarterfinals for the first time. The highest CC had been ranked in a preseason poll was No. 12 in 1998.

Trinity University is ranked 12th in the  AVCA Top 25 Preseason Poll, just eight points behind 11th-ranked Wittenberg.
 
Last season, Trinity qualified for the NCAA playoffs for the 18th straight time, and won the South Regional at Georgetown, Texas. The Tigers defeated  Randolph-Macon, defending national champion Emory, and host Southwestern in the regional, earning a trip to the national quarterfinals for the fifth time in school history. Top-ranked Juniata beat Trinity in the quarterfinals at John Carroll University in Ohio.
 
Trinity completed the year with a 30-12 record (13-5 SCAC) and a No. 8 national ranking.

Southwestern University is ranked 16th in the AVCA Preseason Poll after the Pirates went a perfect 15-0 in conference action and emerged as SCAC champions at the conference Tournament in early November.

Southwestern ended its historic season after a 33-match winning streak was snapped in the NCAA South Regional Final against Trinity. The Pirates (35-4) were ranked 13th in the final poll of the 2009 season.