LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. –The 2013 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) champion Trinity University Tigers were tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the SCAC volleyball championship in 2014 in the annual vote of the league's head coaches.
Trinity University garnered seven of the eight possible first-place votes and tallied 63 of the 64 total points to earn the top preseason spot. The Tigers, ranked 13th in the AVCA preseason poll, posted a 13-1 mark in SCAC play while finishing 36-7 overall last year. The Tigers defeated Southwestern in an epic five set thriller to claim their first SCAC title since 2008. Trinity went on to the NCAA Division III West Regional finals where they were defeated by California Lutheran, 3-1.
Colorado College checked in at No. 2 in the preseason poll, earning one first place vote and 54 total points. The Tigers, ranked eighth in the initial AVCA Preseason Poll, finished last season with an overall mark of 35-5; 12-2 in SCAC play. Colorado College reached the NCAA Division III South Regional final, but fell to Emory University, 3-1.
Southwestern University was third in the preseason poll with 51 total points. Southwestern, who is receiving votes in the 2014 AVCA Division III Coaches Top 25 preseason poll, finished the 2013 season 27-12 overall and 10-4 in league play. The Pirates reached the SCAC Championship Game, but dropped a thrilled to Trinity. The two teams met again in the West Regional semifinals where the Tigers were victorious again in another five set thriller.
Texas Lutheran University checked into the preseason coaches poll in fourth. The Bulldogs garnered 40 points and are coming off a 17-12 overall record from a year ago while going 7-7 in conference play. TLU was the only team to defeat Trinity in conference play in 2013 and reached the SCAC Semifinals.
Austin College comes in fifth with 29 total points. The 'Roos are coming off a 22-20 record in 2013 to go with a 5-9 record in conference. The 'Roos have won 20 or more games in 17 straight seasons
The University of Dallas returns the majority of their team and is picked to finish sixth with 21 total points. The Crusaders finished 21-20 a year ago with a 4-10 record in SCAC play.
Schreiner University begins its second season in the SCAC and is the coaches No. 7 pick in this year's preseason poll with 20 points. The Mountaineers enter 2014 off the heels of an 10-22 campaign including a 4-10 record in SCAC play.
Centenary College rounds out the coaches poll in eighth place with 11 points. The Ladies will look to rebound after a tough 2013 season where they finished 5-28 and 1-13 in the SCAC.
2014 SCAC Predicted Order of Finish
1. Trinity University Tigers - 63 Pts (7)
2. Colorado College Tigers - 54 Pts (1)
3. Southwestern University Pirates - 51 Pts
4. Texas Lutheran University Bulldogs - 40 Pts
5. Austin College Kangaroos - 29 Pts
6. University of Dallas Crusaders - 21 Pts
7. Schreiner University Mountaineers - 20 Pts
8. Centenary College Ladies - 11 Pts
(Eight points were awarded for a first-place vote, seven points for a second-place, down to one point for an eighth-place vote. First-place votes in parenthesis.)
