Virginia Volleyball Team Picked To Finish Sixth In ACC Preseason Poll

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June 25, 2001

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The University of Virginia volleyball team has been selected to finish sixth in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the 2001 Preseason ACC Volleyball Poll, which is determined by a vote of the league’s nine head coaches. The Cavaliers, who are under the direction of sixth-year head coach Melissa Aldrich Shelton, tied for fifth in the ACC in 2000 and posted a 16-15 overall record.

Georgia Tech has been picked to win the 2001 ACC regular season title by the conference’s head coaches after tying for the league title last season. The Yellow Jackets collected 80 of a possible 81 points, in earning the top spot. Defending ACC Tournament champion North Carolina has been picked second with 67 points. Duke is third in the poll with 54 points, while Florida State and Wake Forest tied for fourth with 51 points. Virginia is sixth with 37 points, while Clemson is seventh with 31. Maryland and N.C. State round out the poll with 21 and 13 points, respectively. Each of the teams picked to finish ahead of the Cavaliers in the poll, except Wake Forest, return five starters in 2001. The Demon Deacons return four starters.

The Cavaliers return four starters and eight letterwinners in 2001, but have just one senior on the team. UVa finished the 2001 season with a 16-15 overall record and an 8-8 mark in ACC play. Virginia lost three letterwinners from last season’s squad including first-team All-ACC pick Deanna Zwarich. Katie Jones is the Cavaliers’ other starter lost to graduation.

Virginia opens the 2001 season by hosting Minnesota, Radford and perennial national power Stanford in the Jefferson Cup Tournament Friday, August 31 and Saturday, September 1.

2001 PRESEASON ACC VOLLEYBALL POLL

    School             Points     2000 Record/Finish1.  Georgia Tech       80         25-8, 13-3 ACC/T1st2.  North Carolina     67         26-8, 13-3 ACC/T1st3.  Duke               54         21-13, 8-8 ACC/T5th4.  Florida State      51         21-11, 9-7 ACC/4th    Wake Forest        51         21-9, 10-6 ACC/3rd6. Virginia         37       16-15, 8-8 ACC/T5th7.  Clemson            31         13-18, 6-10 ACC/7th8.  Maryland           21         14-16, 4-12 ACC/8th9.  NC State           13         9-22, 1-15 ACC/9th