USA South releases fall
polls; #15 Bishops picked as
favorite
Fayetteville, NC -
The USA South Athletic
Conference has release its
fall coaches polls, and
North Carolina Wesleyan is
pleased to announce that the
Bishop men's soccer team has
been tabbed the preseason
favorite. Coming off a
record-setting 17-2-2 season
and an NCAA Sweet 16
appearance in 2006, head
coach Jason Kilby's squad
has also gained respect
nationally with a #15
ranking in the NSCAA
preseason poll. Other
poll results for Wesleyan
included a fifth-place
billing for women's soccer,
a sixth-place finish for
volleyball, and an eighth
place showing for cross
country.
Kilby's
men's soccer squad returns
10 players from last year's
squad that went undefeated
during the regular season. Heading that
list is senior Danny Jones,
an All-Conference selection
last season and NCWC's Male
Athlete of the Year.
Fellow seniors Alimamy
Kargbo and Jason Bottani
will join Jones, along with
a host of international
talent.
The
Bishop women turned in a
5-11-1 record in 2006, but
first-year head coach
Beverly Biancur is ready to
turn things around.
Wesleyan returns 14
letterwinners this fall,
including last year's
All-Conference performers
Meredith Hester, Reva
McCloud, and Mayra Gomez.
The Bishops also return
Rachel Rosenbarker, Bry
Godfrey, and Lauren Stearns,
who were each All-Conference
selections as freshmen in
2005.
Head
coach Robin Pietryk has
reason to be excited about
her volleyball squad's
upcoming slate. The
Bishops return 2006
All-Conference performer
Brittany Insley, who was a
mere two kills shy of
setting new school record
last season as a freshman.
Setter Caitlin George also
returns and looks to add to
the career assist record she
eclipsed last season.
Insley, George, and junior
Sydney Bens will look to
blend with a talented
recruiting class that boasts
11 freshmen.
Finally,
first-year head coach
Dominic Modise takes over a
young Wesleyan cross country
program and will look to
build around returners
Juliana Richardson and
Jessica Pollard.
Richardson recorded two
first-place dual meet
finishes last season as a
freshman, setting three
individual records in the
process.
With the
exception of cross country,
all of Wesleyan's fall
sports will kick off their
2007 slates next weekend,
beginning with volleyball on
the 31st. Men's soccer
will host its annual Fall
Classic on Saturday at 11:00
a.m., followed by the
women's soccer opener
against Sweet Briar at 4:00
p.m.
Complete
poll results for each sport
are posted below.
|
2007 USA South
Men’s Soccer
Poll |
|
Rank |
Institution
(1st place
Votes) |
Pts. |
|
1. |
N.C. Wesleyan
(4) |
33 |
|
2. |
Christopher
Newport (2) |
31 |
|
3. |
Greensboro (1) |
28 |
|
4. |
Methodist |
22 |
|
5. |
Shenandoah |
15 |
|
6. |
Ferrum |
11 |
|
7. |
Averett |
7 |
|
2007 USA South
Women’s Soccer
Poll |
|
Rank |
Institution
(1st place
Votes) |
Pts. |
|
1. |
Christopher
Newport (7) |
79 |
|
2. |
Methodist (2) |
73 |
|
t-3. |
Greensboro (1) |
60 |
|
t-3. |
Meredith |
60 |
|
5. |
N.C. Wesleyan |
41 |
|
6. |
Averett |
40 |
|
7. |
Ferrum |
34 |
|
8. |
Shenandoah |
27 |
|
9. |
Mary Baldwin |
23 |
|
10. |
Peace |
13 |
|
2007 USA South
Volleyball Poll |
|
Rank |
Institution
(1st place
Votes) |
Pts. |
|
1. |
Christopher
Newport (6) |
78 |
|
2. |
Averett (4) |
76 |
|
3. |
Greensboro |
65 |
|
4. |
Ferrum |
54 |
|
5. |
Methodist |
47 |
|
6. |
N.C. Wesleyan |
33 |
|
7. |
Meredith |
31 |
|
t-8. |
Peace |
23 |
|
t-8. |
Shenandoah |
23 |
|
10. |
Mary Baldwin |
20 |
|
2007 USA South
Cross Country
Poll |
|
Rank |
Institution
(1st place
Votes) |
Pts. |
|
1. |
Christopher
Newport (9) |
81 |
|
2. |
Greensboro |
65 |
|
3. |
Shenandoah (1) |
61 |
|
4. |
Methodist |
53 |
|
5. |
Averett |
39 |
|
t-6. |
Meredith |
33 |
|
t-6. |
Peace |
33 |
|
8. |
N.C. Wesleyan |
29 |
|
t-9. |
Mary Baldwin |
28 |
|
t-9. |
Ferrum |
28 |
