Aug. 6, 2004
GREENSBORO, NC – Georgia Tech has been selected the ACC volleyball preseason top pick, as determined by a vote of the league’s 11 head coaches. Georgia Tech finished with 116 points including seven first place votes, ahead of Maryland (112) and North Carolina (93).
The defending ACC regular season champion, the Yellow Jackets finished first in the ACC regular season with a 15-1 conference record, 34-4 overall. Tech returns 10 letterwinners and six starters to its team, including all-America performers Lynnette Moster and Lauren Sauer. The Yellow Jackets advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year falling to Hawai’i in the regional final round.
“It’s great that our team is being recognized by the coaches around the league as still being a strong team and that we aren’t a one season and done type program, but rather a program that is building a tradition,” said head coach Bond Shymansky, who begins his third year at the helm of the Jackets. “We have a lot of work to do and for us to be the top seed at the end of the season is going to be very difficult because there are so many strong teams this year in our conference.”
Georgia Tech narrowly edged the Maryland Terrapins, who finished the 2003 season with a 27-8 overall ledger and their first ACC Championship title since 1996.
North Carolina is predicted to finish in third place with 93 points, while Wake Forest is fourth with 78 points. Clemson and Florida State tied for fifth place with 68 points apiece. Rounding out spots seven through 11 are Miami (58), Virginia (49), Duke (48), Virginia Tech (21) and NC State (15).
Also announced was the Volleyball preseason all-ACC team. Georgia Tech placed three seniors on the preseason all-ACC team, Marisa Aston, Lynnette Moster and Lauren Sauer.
“I am real proud of this team and the players on it,” Shymansky added. “I am glad Lynnette, Marisa and Lauren are getting recognized for their hard work they have put into this team and making it what it is today.”
2004 ACC Volleyball Preseason PollTeam Points 2003 Record1. GT (7) 116 34-42. Maryland (4) 112 27-83. North Carolina 93 20-124. Wake Forest 78 21-105. Clemson 68 18-16 Florida State 68 16-177. Miami 58 22-98. Virginia 49 25-99. Duke 48 10-1910. Virginia Tech 21 13-1411. NC State 15 7-25
2004 ACC Volleyball Preseason All-ACC TeamLori Ashton ClemsonMarisa Aston Georgia TechLeslie Finn ClemsonAlexis Geocaris VirginiaAimee Huddleston MarylandStephanie Istvan DukeCassie McLaughlin Florida StateLynnette Moster Georgia TechMolly Pyles North CarolinaTassy Rufai DukeValerie Rydberg Wake ForestLauren Sauer Georgia TechValeria Tipiana MiamiRachel Wagener Maryland
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