USA South releases preseason volleyball poll

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Two-time defending conference champion Maryville College is the top pick in the USA South Athletic Conference's preseason volleyball poll.

The overall conference poll and two divisional polls were each released on Thursday. The two divisional polls only include votes from the coaches within that division. The overall poll includes votes from all 13 conference coaches.

In the overall poll, No. 1 Maryville earned nine first-place votes and 141 points. Meredith was second with two first-place votes and 125 points and Averett was third with two first-place votes and 123 points. Huntingdon was 12th with 27 points.

In the South Division poll, Maryville received four of the five first-place votes and 16 points, followed by Covenant in second with 12 points. Piedmont was third with one first-place vote and 11 points, LaGrange was fourth with seven points and Huntingdon was fifth with four points.

The Lady Hawks open the season on Sept. 4 with the Huntingdon College Tournament.

The complete polls are below.

2015 USA South Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll (Overall)

1. Maryville (9 first-place votes), 141 points

2. Meredith (2), 125 points

3. Averett (2), 123 points

4. Covenant, 119 points

5. Piedmont, 97 points

T6. Methodist, 82 points.

T6. William Peace, 82 points

8. Greensboro, 69 points

9. N.C. Wesleyan, 52 points

10. LaGrange, 48 points

11. Ferrum, 36 points

12. Huntingdon, 27 points

13. Mary Baldwin, 13 points

2015 USA South Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll (South Division)

1. Maryville (4 first-place votes), 16 points

2. Covenant, 12 points

3. Piedmont (1), 11 points

4. LaGrange, 7 points

5. Huntingdon, 4 points

2015 USA South Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll (North Division)

1. Meredith (5 first-place votes), 47 points

2. Averett, (3), 45 points

3. William Peace, 33 points.

4. Methodist, 31 points

5. Greensboro, 28 points

6. N.C. Wesleyan, 19 points

7. Ferrum, 14 points

8. Mary Baldwin, 7 points