2011 AVCA Preseason Poll

[1972Shocker]

Shocks receiving 11 votes in the AVCA Preseason Poll:

http://www.avca.org/divisions/division-one-women/poll-08-15-11/

Shocks have a great opportunity with their schedule this year:

We have matches with the following teams in the preseason Top 25:

#10 - Hawaii
#14 - Northern Iowas x 2
#15 - Colorado State
#16 - Oklahoma

We also have matches with the following teams receiving votes in the Preseason poll:

Louisville - 33 votes
Arizona - 29 votes

Also see that Tulsa is #23 in the preseason poll. It would be nice if we could get something going with them schedule wise.

Let's git 'er done Shocks!

:goshocks:

[1972Shocker]

An interesting thing I noticed about the poll is that there is not a whole lost of difference between this Preseason Top 25 poll and the final poll of 2010.

Long Beach State and Michigan are the only teams that were not in the final 2010 poll. Not only were the other 23 teams in the final 2010 poll but they were pretty much in the same relative positions as this year's preseason poll.

Makes you wonder how much thought really goes into this.

[flyingMoose]

The 11 votes the Shocks received in the AVCA Poll is a tie for 38. In the Rich Kern Poll, the Shocks are 42. Their Pablo Ranking to finish last year was 52.

[1972Shocker]

Hawaii ranked #12 in Volleyball Magazine preseason Top 20.

http://hawaiiathletics.com/news/2011/8/19/WVB_0819114017.aspx?path=wvball

Very comparable to the AVCA preseason poll. VBM preseason rankins of Shocker opponents with AVCA rankins in parentheses:

12 - Hawaii (10)
14 - Northern Iowa (14) x 2
16 - Colorado State (15)
17 - Oklahoma (16)

Receiving Votes in Both Polls:
Lousville
Arizona

Only 2 of these matches are at home, UNI and OU, but this is great schedule with numerous opportunities for the Shocks to make a statement.

:goshocks:

[1972Shocker]

The Lady Shocks will underdogs in 5 of the 10 non-conference matches vs NCAA D-1 opponents (although I think Nebraska-Omaha is transitioning from D-II to D-I). Again this presents a great opportunity.

They also play an exhibition match at the Colorado State Tournament against Nova KBM Maribor, a team from Slovenia. I am not sure how good they will be. They may be a very good team. In any case Lambo should recruit Monika Potokar (#3) from this team just on general principle:

http://www.branik-nkbm.si/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29&Itemid=37

[flyingMoose]

We are not receiving votes in either the AVCA or RichKern Polls of 29 August. No surprise.

Northern Iowa is the only Valley school receiving votes, ranked 14 in both polls.

[flyingMoose]

We are not receiving votes in either the AVCA or RichKern Polls of 29 August. No surprise.

Northern Iowa is the only Valley school receiving votes, ranked 14 in both polls.

And UNI is 15 in the VB Mag poll, down one from last week.