Jackets Grab Top Spot in ACC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll

Aug. 7, 2003

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have been unanimously selected to finish first for the upcoming 2003 Atlantic Coast Conference volleyball season, as determined by a vote of the league’s nine head coaches. Georgia Tech finished with 81 points, ahead of Duke (68) and North Carolina (65).

The defending ACC Champion, the Yellow Jackets finished in second in the 2002 ACC regular season with a 13-3 conference record, 33-6 overall. Tech returns 11 letterwinners and every starter to its team, including all-America performer Lynnette Moster and all-ACC selections Kele Eveland and Alexandra Preiss. The Yellow Jackets advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year falling to Minnesota in the second round.

“It is a very nice honor to be selected as the preseason favorite in the league by other coaches,” said head coach Bond Shymansky, who begins his second year at the helm of the Jackets. “But, the reality is the preseason favorite has not faired well in our conference since I’ve been at Tech. Our team now has the challenge of training like a champion every day in practice.”

Duke returns five starters from last year’s team that finished third in the standings with an 11-5 conference and 24-10 overall record. Duke advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third-consecutive year, falling to Miami in the first round.

North Carolina is picked to finish third with 65 points. The 2002 ACC regular-season champion, the Tar Heels return two starters from a team that finished 12th in the nation and advanced to the Round of 16 in the NCAA Championship before losing to Hawaii.

Completing the pre-season poll in order of finish is Clemson (48), Florida State (41), Wake Forest (36), Maryland (34), Virginia (22), and NC State (10). Below is a listing of the pre-season coaches’ poll with 2002 records and regular season finishes.