Nebraska, Schrad, Top Big 12 Preseason Poll

Dallas, Texas -- In a preseason vote by the Big 12 Conference coaches released Thursday, the Nebraska volleyball team was picked as the early favorite to win its sixth straight league title, and senior outside hitter Anna Schrad and Kansas State senior middle blocker Lauren Goehring were voted the preseason co-players of the year.

The defending Big 12 Champion Huskers were given six of the 11 first-place votes in the conference preseason poll. Texas and Kansas State had two first-place votes. The polling was based on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system with a first-place vote receiving 10 points and a 10th-place vote receiving one. Nebraska, which finished 2002 with a 31-2 record and a No. 5 ranking in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches poll, enters the 2003 season looking for its seventh conference championship after taking six of the seven titles, since the conference's inception in 1996. Texas took the top honors in 1997.

Texas was picked second in the poll. The Longhorns finished with a record of 23-9 overall and 13-7 in the conference, while advancing to the NCAA Tournament losing to Arizona in the first round. Following the Longhorns in the preseason poll was third-place Kansas State, while Texas A&M and Missouri, tied for fourth. Kansas, Colorado, Baylor, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Iowa State rounded out the top 10.

Schrad, a Lincoln Pius X product, averaged 2.65 kills per game and 0.74 blocks per game as a junior in 2002. Joining Schrad on the preseason All-Big 12 team was NU sophomore outside hitter Jennifer Saleaumua. The National City, Calif., native ranked second on the team with 3.05 digs per game while averaging 2.89 kills per game on a .295 hitting percentage in 2002.

Other preseason award winners were Colorado's Ashley Nu'u, who was picked as the Freshman of the Year, and Texas' Darium Acevedo, who was selected as Newcomer of the Year.

2003 Big 12 Conference Coaches? Preseason Poll

No.

Team

Points

1.

Nebraska

93

2.

Texas

87

3.

Kansas State

86

4.

Texas A&M

72

Missouri

72

6.

Kansas

50

7.

Colorado

46

8.

Baylor

35

9.

Texas Tech

29

10.

Oklahoma

19

11.

Iowa State

11

(Note: The coaches' poll was based on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system with a first-place vote receiving 10 points)

2003 Big 12 Conference Coaches' Preseason Team
Jennifer Saleaumua, Nebraska, OH, 5-11, So., National City, Calif. (Bonita Vista)
Mira Topic, Texas, OH, 6-3, Jr., Kastela Kambelovac, Croatia (Vladimir Nazor)
Lauren Goehring, Kansas State, MB, 6-0, Sr., Fort Worth, Texas (Fossil Ridge)
Melissa Munsch, Texas A&M, OH, 6-1, Jr., Columbus, Texas (Columbus)
Laura Jones, Texas A&M, OH, 6-2, So., Arlington, Texas (Martin)
Anna Schrad, Nebraska, OH, 6-2, Sr., Lincoln, Neb. (Lincoln Piux X)

Big 12 Conference Preseason Player of the Year:
Lauren Goehring, Kansas State
Anna Schrad, Nebraska Big 12 Conference

Preseason Freshman of the Year:
Ashley Nu'u, Colorado, S, 5-10, Fr., Aurora, Colo. (Smoky Hill)

Big 12 Conference Preseason Newcomer of the Year:
Darium Acevedo, Texas, OH, 5-11, So., Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico (Univ. of Oregon)