Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Volleyball Picked Third in MAC Preseason Poll
8/9/2004 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Marshall Volleyball Picked Third in MAC Preseason Poll
8/9/2004
HUNTINGTON, W.Va ? The Marshall volleyball team was picked by the thirteen coaches of the Mid-American Conference to finish third in the MAC East Division in the 2004 preseason poll released Tuesday from the MAC office in Cleveland.
The Herd finished 21-16 overall last season and 8-8 in the MAC. Marshall has finished third in the MAC East for the past two seasons under head coach Mitch Jacobs.
Marshall?s biggest feat of the 2003 season was its run to the finals of the MAC tournament as the No. 7 seed before falling to Ohio.
The Herd lost three starters, plus its libero to graduation, but returns three starters in juniors Katie Stein (Sussex, Wisc.), Amber Sims (Ney, Ohio) and Nickie Sanlin(Fairview Heights, Ill). Sanlin and Sims are the team?s top two blockers, each averaging over a block per game. Sims also notched the 14th highest hitting percentage in the MAC last season. Stein has 2,898 career assists, the second most in school history.
Marshall has eight newcomers arriving on campus for the 2004 season and head coach Mitch Jacobs is happy to be recognized, but said it?s still too early to tell what to expect from his squad.
?A preseason poll is exactly that, a preseason poll,? Jacobs said. ?None of us have any idea how our newcomers are going to be when they step out on the court. What this does mean is that our program is gaining respect. It?s wonderful to start getting that respect and I hope the other coaches in the league know more about how good our newcomers are going to be than I do before they?ve ever stepped on the floor in a Herd uniform. But we're definitely looking forward to getting them on the court and seeing what they can do.?
This is the first time the Herd has been picked in the top three of the MAC East since Jacobs? arrival in 2002.
Defending MAC champion Ohio was picked to win the East Division, with Kent State picked second. Ball State, followed by Western Michigan and Northern Illinois round out the top three in the MAC West Division.
Marshall opens the season Wednesday, September 1, at home against Radford at 7 p.m. MAC play begins Sept. 26 at home against Miami (Ohio) for the Herd.
