Seahawks tabbed seventh in TCCC preseason coaches poll

NEWPORT, R.I. - The Salve Regina University volleyball team was picked seventh in the 2009 The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC) Preseason Coaches Poll.

The Seahawks - who received a total of 58 points - return nine players from last season's team which won a school-record 12 matches and advanced to TCCC Tournament for the fourth-straight season.

"We've had a great camp so far and our freshmen are really pushing the upperclassmen for playing time," said head coach Jen Maxwell. "We will continue to build off the success we had last season and push towards our goal of bringing a TCCC Championship back to Newport. I think our squad is going to turn some heads this season."

Seniors Deanna Salter (Westwood, Mass.) and Natalie Ruebnoff (New Hartford, Conn.), along with sophomore Julianne Barry (Randolph, Mass.), anchor the offense. Salter led the team and ranked 10th in the conference with 178 kills (2.28 kpg) last season while Rubenoff (152 kills) and Barry (151 kills) ranked second and third, respectively. Salter also ranked second in digs with 210 while Barry led the team with 52 blocks (42 solo), followed by Rubenoff with 46 (26 solo).

Three-time defending champion Endicott received all 11 first-place votes and 121 total points to top the poll, followed by Colby-Sawyer with 103 points and Roger Williams with 94 points. Univ. of New England was picked fourth with 90 points, followed by Gordon (79 points), Western New England (70), Salve Regina, Wentworth (37), Regis (34), Eastern Nazarene (26), and Anna Maria (13).

Teams received 11 points for every first-place vote received, 10 points for second-place votes, nine points for third-place votes, down to one point for a last-place vote.

The Seahawks open the 2009 season at the Emerson/Wentworth Tournament on Friday, September 4. They begin play with a 4 p.m. match against Framingham State and close the night with an 8 p.m. match against Plymouth State.