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2010 BIG EAST Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll
Aug. 12, 2010 CHICAGO – For the first time since joining the BIG EAST in 2005, Cincinnati has emerged as the favorite in the 2010 BIG EAST Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll while DePaul was picked to finish 15th. The Bearcats were a unanimous selection, receiving 196 points and all 14 first-place votes. The votes were cast by the league’s 15 head coaches who were not permitted to vote for their own teams. DePaul will be led by first-year coach Nadia Edwards. Edwards comes to DePaul after being an assistant coach at Ohio State and Ohio University. Edwards played professionally for three years after helping Penn State compile an impressive 71-2 record during her career, including a national championship in 1999. Senior setter Christy Landschoot enters the season with 2,433 career assists, which ranks fifth in DePaul’s all-time record book. The senior averaged 8.25 assists per game last season while splitting time with Sammy Geiger. Geiger averaged 8.27 assists as a freshman. Junior right side Lauren Blasi is DePaul’s leading offensive returner. Blasi notched 204 kills, added a team-best 48 blocks and was third with 231.5 points. The Blue Demons begin their season at 7:30 pm, August 27 against UIC in the Chicagoland Classic at McGrath Arena. Cincinnati finished second in the regular-season standings in 2009, posting a 12-2 conference record. The Bearcats then made a run all the way to the title game of the BIG EAST Championship, where they lost to Louisville. The Bearcats returns BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year Stephanie Niemer, who led the conference in total kills with 541 while finishing third in aces with 53. Niemer was a unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team in 2009, earning a spot on the AVCA All-Region team.
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