Volleyball Magazine's
Women's Collegiate Preseason Poll

Women's Division I Top 20 Poll
Week 1 - August 14, 2001

Rank-Team-Last Year's Record

1. Nebraska 34-0
2. Stanford 19-12
3. Long Beach State 24-8
4. USC 29-3
5. Hawaii 31-2
6. Florida 29-5
7. Wisconsin 33-4
8. Penn State 30-6
9. Arizona 28-5
10. BYU 26-7
11. Pacific 28-4
12. Pepperdine 24-7
13. UCLA 25-8
14. UC Santa Barbara 26-8
15. Minnesota 30-4
16. Colorado State 32-5
17. Ohio State 26-7
18. South Carolina 22-7
19. Notre Dame 26-6
20. Utah 23-8

Others: Texas A&M, Georgia Tech, Baylor, Michigan, Santa Clara, Kansas
State, Michigan State, North Carolina, California, Texas, Cal Poly, Utah
State.

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USA Today/AVCA Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll

Nebraska Overwhelming Preseason Favorite

from AVCA Press Release

Colorado Springs, CO - The University of Nebraska, the defending NCAA
Division I national volleyball champions, is the overwhelming favorite in
the USA Today/AVCA Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll released on Aug. 13.

The Cornhuskers, 34-0 last season, earned 63 of 65 first-place votes in the
preseason poll and outdistanced second-place USC by a 1623-1472
margin (151 points). Nebraska returns AVCA National Player of the Year
Greichaly Cepero, AVCA All-America First-Team member Laura Pilakowski
and AVCA All-America Second-Team selection Amber Holmquist. Further,
the Cornhusker return the services of two-time AVCA All-American Nancy
Meendering Metcalf, who sat out last season after training with the U.S.
National Team leading up to the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Overall, Nebraska has
five returning starters and nine letterwinners back from 2000, in addition
to the transfer of Michigan State outside hitter Amy Sibbernsen.

USC, which reached the NCAA semifinals last year, hopes to build upon its
2000 record of 29-3. Under the direction of Mick Haley, the Trojans return
two AVCA All-America Second-Team picks in April Ross and Jennifer Pahl.

Penn State, the Big 10 Preseason favorite, was selected third in the USA
Today/AVCA Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll after finishing last year with a
30-6 mark. The Nittany Lions return six starters from the 2000 campaign,
including AVCA All-America Second-Team pick Mishka Levy.

Wisconsin earned the fourth spot in the preseason poll with 1320 points.
Hawai'i was fifth in the poll with 1261 points. Rounding out the top 10
included Arizona sixth, UCLA seventh, Long Beach State eighth, Florida ninth
and Stanford 10th.

The 2001 season opens Aug. 24-25 with the 2001 State Farm/NACWAA
Volleyball Classic at Stockton, Calif. The tournament features three
teams listed among the top five of the 2001 USA Today/AVCA Coaches
Top 25 Preseason Poll. Nebraska faces Hawai'i at 5 p.m. PDT on Aug 25.

Wisconsin challenges tournament host Pacific, ranked 12th in the
preseason poll, at 7 p.m. PDT in the second match of the day. The
tournament consolation match begins at 5 p.m. PDT on Aug. 25, while
the championship match is scheduled for 7 p.m. PDT. All four matches
are tentatively scheduled to air on ESPN2. Highlights from Friday's
matches will air on Aug. 25 from 7:30-9 p.m. PDT. The championship
match will be shown on Monday, Aug. 27, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. PDT.

USA TODAY/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25

Preseason Poll, August 13, 2001


Rank School (First-Place Votes) Total 2000 Final
Points Record Poll

1 Nebraska (63) 1623 34-0 1
2 USC (2) 1472 29-3 4
3 Penn State 1374 30-6 6
4 Wisconsin 1320 33-5 2
5 Hawai'i 1261 31-2 3
6 Arizona 1178 28-5 5
7 UCLA 1098 25-8 7
8 Long Beach State 1091 24-8 14
9 Florida 1084 29-5 12
10 Stanford 1017 19-12 19
11 BYU 989 26-7 13
12 Pacific 950 28-4 8
13 UC Santa Barbara 882 26-8 9
14 Colorado State 866 32-5 10
15 Minnesota 724 30-4 11
16 Ohio State 638 26-7 15
17 Pepperdine 606 24-7 18
18 Texas A&M 480 20-9 23
19 Kansas State 354 22-9 16
20 Notre Dame 270 26-7 21
21 Utah 254 23-8 20
22 Santa Clara 232 27-5 17
23 South Carolina 172 22-7 NR
24 Loyola Marymount 155 20-9 25
25 Georgia Tech 123 25-8 NR

Others receiving points and listed on two or more ballots: Louisville
(112), Missouri (109), Colorado (108), Washington State (102),
Michigan State (88), North Carolina (62), Northern Iowa (58), Utah
State (33), Michigan (26), Texas Tech (20), University of San Diego
(18), South Florida (17), Tennessee (16), Arizona State (15), Baylor
(14), Duke (13), Arkansas (12), Florida State (11), Western Michigan
(9), Fairfield (8), Cal Poly (8), Northern Arizona (5),
Wisconsin-Milwaukee (4), San Jose State (3)

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