FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Sunshine State Conference released its preseason polls for the upcoming 2013 fall sports of men's soccer, women's soccer and volleyball on Wednesday.
Women's soccer was picked to finish fourth in the preseason poll, receiving 38 votes. The Sharks finished fourth in the SSC a season ago. Last year's SSC Tournament champion Tampa finished first with 61 points, one point more than second-place Rollins.
The Sharks will look to improve on last season, bringing back 21 returners, including their three All-SSC performers: Dilja Olafsdottir (Sr., Reykajavik, Iceland), Malin Broberg (Sr., Stockholm, Sweden) and Amanda Kopale (So., Cape Coral, Fla.). The Sharks open up their season on Sept. 5, against West Georgia at the NSU Soccer Complex.
Men's soccer finished eighth in the poll with 19 points, beating out Florida Southern. NSU plays in the toughest Division II conference in the nation, with the top two schools in the 2013 preseason poll, Rollins and Lynn, competing in the National Championship game over the last three seasons.
Despite the tough road ahead, the Sharks look to surprise the conference with a strong season. They return their entire backline from 2012 and add a slew of talented newcomers up front. Nicola Brivio (So., Gallarte, Italy) highlights the returning class after earning All-SSC honors as a freshman.
Volleyball was picked tied for eighth with Florida Tech, with each team receiving 13 points in the poll. Tampa, ranked No. 2 in the nation, is the top choice for the fifth straight preseason.
The Sharks return just seven players from last year's 4-28 squad, but all possess extensive on-court experience. Three played in all 32 matches, including Sydney Cook (So., Miami), who led the team in kills and was named to the SSC All-Newcomer Team.
Fellow sophomore Dana Holger (Lino Lakes, Minn.) led the Sharks in sets played and aces, and was second in kills, while another second-year returnee, Caitlin Donahue (Miami), was the team's top blocker. Along with those back, head coach Steve Wilcosky adds six newcomers to his squad, five freshmen and one junior. The season begins with the team hosting the annual Shark Classic, Sept. 6-7.
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| 2013 SUNSHINE STATE CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLLS |
| Women's Soccer | Men's Soccer | Volleyball |
1 - Tampa, 61 (5)
2 - Rollins, 60 (4)
3 - Florida Southern, 47
4 - Nova Southeastern, 38
5 - Florida Tech, 31
6 - Lynn, 27
7 - Barry, 26
8 - Eckerd, 25
9 - Saint Leo, 9 | 1 - Rollins, 60 (4)
2 - Lynn, 59 (4)
3 - Tampa, 52 (1)
4 - Florida Tech, 37
5 - Saint Leo, 33
6 - Eckerd, 32
7 - Barry, 24
8 - Nova Southeastern, 19
9 - Florida Southern, 8 | 1 - Tampa, 64 (8)
2 - Eckerd, 54 (1)
3 - Florida Southern, 53
4 - Rollins, 40
5 - Barry, 37
6 - Lynn, 26
7 - Saint Leo, 24
T8 - Nova Southeastern, 13
T8 - Florida Tech, 13 |
