Marquette University Athletics
Marquette Picked Sixth in BIG EAST Preseason Poll
8/9/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 9, 2006
MILWAUKEE - The Marquette University volleyball team was selected to finish sixth by the conference's head coaches in the 2006 BIG EAST Preseason Volleyball Poll as announced by the BIG EAST Conference this afternoon.
The Golden Eagles, who finished 8-6 and in a tie for seventh in the BIG EAST standings last season, received 134 points in the voting, 17 ahead of Villanova and eight behind Pittsburgh. 2005 Co-BIG EAST Conference regular season champion and BIG EAST Tournament champion Notre Dame received 188 points and eight first-place votes in being selected this season's conference favorite.
In second place in the voting was Louisville with 180 points and six first-place votes, and in third was Cincinnati, garnering 162 points and one first-place vote. St. John's was chosen fourth, receiving 143 points.
In addition to the sixth-place selection, senior Jamie Mueller and junior Kimberley Todd were chosen to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.
"It is nice to see Mueller and Todd acknowledged in the BIG EAST," said head coach Pati Rolf. "They are two of the strongest players on our team. Now we look forward to the start of the season."
Mueller, a 5-10 outside hitter, is the team's top returnee in digs per game (3.71) from a season ago. She also registered third on the squad with 2.82 kills per game and 361 points.
Todd, a unanimous pick among BIG EAST coaches, is back for her junior campaign after First Team All-BIG EAST recognition in 2005. The 6-2 outside hitter led Marquette with 3.46 kills per game, was second with 465 points and ranked third with 0.71 blocks per game in 2005.
Anastasia Yartseva-Stewart, an outside hitter from Louisville, was selected as the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year.
BIG EAST Preseason Volleyball Poll School Pts. BIG EASTFinish Overall 1. Notre Dame (8) 188 13-1 T-1st 30-4 2. Louisville (6) 180 13-1 T-1st 31-3 3. Cincinnati (1) 162 9-5 T-4th 20-12 4. St. John's 143 9-5 T-4th 23-9 5. Pittsburgh 142 9-5 T-4th 17-13 6. Marquette 134 8-6 T-7th 17-13 7. Villanova 117 8-6 T-7th 21-11 8. Syracuse 104 11-3 3rd 25-10 9. Connecticut 92 7-7 9th 15-13 10. Rutgers 84 6-8 10th 11-16 11. Georgetown 70 2-12 13th 6-22 12. West Virginia 53 4-10 T-11th 16-13 13. USF 50 1-13 T-14th 4-22 14. Seton Hall 37 4-10 T-11th 14-16 15. DePaul 19 1-13 T-14th 4-23BIG EAST Player of the Year Anastasia Yartseva-Stewart, Sr., OH, Louisville
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team Diana Andreyko*, Jr., OH, Pittsburgh Jenny Custer, Jr., OH/S, Cincinnati Hui Ping Huang, So., MB, St. John's Jamie Mueller, Sr., OH, Marquette Jessie Nevitt*, R-So., MB, Cincinnati Noel Olson, Sr., S, Cincinnati Kacy Sellers, Jr., OH, Villanova Adrianna Stasiuk, Jr., OH, Notre Dame Ashley Tarutis, Jr., S, Notre Dame Kimberley Todd *, Jr., OH, Marquette Lora Yankauskas, Sr., OH/RS, Rutgers Anastasia Yartseva-Stewart, Sr., OH, Louisville *- unanimous selection
