RICHARDSON, Texas – The LeTourneau University volleyball team has an uphill climb as the YellowJackets were picked to finish sixth in the American Southwest Conference East Division preseason poll Tuesday.

 

LeTourneau garnered 20 points to claim the sixth spot. UT-Dallas was a unanimous selection to grab the top spot with 72 points after posting a 25-1 record last season, including going 17-0 in the ASC. East Texas Baptist (59), Mississippi College (40), Mary Hardin-Baylor (33) and UT-Tyler (28) rounded out the division.

 

Niki Calverley of UT-Dallas was named the ASC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Mary Hardin-Baylor's Erin Maenius was selected the defensive player of the year.

 

In the ASC West Division, Hardin-Simmons narrowly takes the top spot with seven first-place votes to garner 88 points. McMurry had four first-place votes and finished with 83 points. Texas Lutheran had three first-place votes and 78 points to grab the third spot. Following the Bulldogs were Schreiner (63), Concordia-Texas (35), Howard Payne (33) and Sul Ross State (17).

 

McMurry's Terah Brown took the ASC Preseason West Division Offensive Player of the Year honors, while Gracen Harris of Hardin-Simmons was named the defensive player of the year.

 

The YellowJackets open the 2010 season 3:00 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 2 at the Solheim Arena with a doubleheader against Texas College.