Tigers Picked To Finish Fifth By The Big West Coaches

Irvine, Calif. - With the 2011 women's volleyball season fast approaching the Pacific volleyball team was picked to finish fifth in the Big West as voted on by the conference coaches.  For the second-consecutive season, the Tigers and the rest of the Big West will be chasing Long Beach State, which was picked to finish at the top of the standings after receiving seven of a possible nine first place votes.

Under then first year head coach Greg Gibbons, the Tigers finished in fifth in the Big West in 2010 after posting a 9-7 conference mark.  Overall, Pacific ended the 2010 season at 19-11, finishing just one win short of the 20-win plateau.  Having lost just one senior to graduation from last season, the 2011 Tigers return seven experienced players to go alongside of six incoming freshmen.  A pair of All-Big West honorees from a season ago return in senior Samantha Misa and sophomore Jennifer Sanders as the duo will be just two of the six returning starters from last season.

Pacific's season begins on the road in 2011 as the team heads to Cedar City, Utah to take part in the Southern Utah Invitational from August 26-27.  The Tigers open their home schedule on the first day of September as they host Duke at the Alex G. Spanos Center in a single match beginning at 5:00 pm.  The next day the Tigers begin their defense of their Community Bankers Classic crown as Pacific host the 33rd iteration of their historic tournament from September 2-3.  Conference play for the Tigers begins on September 21 at home against UC Davis as Pacific takes on its Northern California rival at 7:00 pm.

2011 Big West Women's Volleyball
Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Long Beach State (7), 78
2. Cal Poly (2), 72
3. UC Santa Barbara, 53
4. Cal State Fullerton, 52
5. Pacific, 51
6. UC Davis, 38
7. UC Irvine, 30
8. Cal State Northridge, 20
9. UC Riverside, 11
( ) Denotes first place votes