Aug. 18, 2009

LOS ANGELES -- The USC women's volleyball team has been ranked No. 12 in the nation in the 2009 AVCA Division I Coaches preseason poll Tuesday, matching the same No. 12 ranking by Volleyball Magazine. The six-time national champions return 13 letterwinners from last year's squad that reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament as the Trojans made their 18th consecutive NCAA appearance. USC has made five NCAA Final Four appearances in the last nine years.

The Women of Troy open the 2009 season at the MSU Showcase in East Lansing, Michigan (Aug. 28-29) where USC will take on host Michigan State, along with North Carolina and Albany (featuring current assistant coach and former USC setter Kimi Freeburg).

Follow all USC home matches this season at the Galen Center on the revamped usctrojans.com with a live, multi-camera video webcast.

2009 AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll
1. Penn State
2. Texas
3. Nebraska
4. Washington
5. Stanford
6. California
7. Hawai'i
8. Florida
9. UCLA
10. Illinois
11. Minnesota
12. USC
13. Iowa State
14. Oregon
15. San Diego
16. Michigan
17. Utah
18. Wichita State
19. Purdue
20. Saint Louis
21. Kentucky
22. Kansas State
23. Long Beach State
24. Colorado State
25. Santa Clara 

Others Receiving Votes: Pepperdine, Duke, Texas A&M, Wisconsin, Western Michigan, New Mexico State, Wright State, St. Mary's, UC Irvine, Tulane, Ohio, LSU, Arizona, Cal Poly, Tennessee, Louisville, Michigan State, San Francisco, Baylor, Missouri State, Oklahoma, Middle Tennessee, Rice.