Aug. 12, 2002

WACO, Texas - Baylor's volleyball team received 26 points in the USA Today/AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll, released Monday. That point total, based upon a standard voting format of 25 points for first place, 24 points for second place, etc., ranks the Bears 38th to open the 2002 season.

Defending national champion Stanford got the preseason nod as the nation's top team; the Cardinal garnered 54 of the 65 first-place votes. Three-time defending Big 12 Conference champion Nebraska is ranked second with four first-place votes, while Southern California is third with two first-place votes. Hawai'I received the five remaining first-place votes and opens the season at No. 4. Long Beach State, Arizona, Florida, Pepperdine, Ohio State and Wisconsin round out the top 10 in that order.

Including Nebraska, four teams from the Big 12 open the season in the Top 25. Texas A&M is ranked 17th, Colorado is ranked 21st and Kansas State is ranked 22nd. Texas (28th, 117), Missouri (34th, 58) and Texas Tech (43rd, 9) joined Baylor in the list of teams also receiving votes. Last season, those eight Big 12 teams all advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

2001 NCAA runner-up Long Beach State is the only ranked team not from the Big 12 that appears on the Bears' 2002 schedule. However, Utah State, whom Baylor meets Sept. 13 at the Rhode Island Classic, is two spots ahead of the Bears in the list of teams also receiving votes.

Baylor returns three starters from last season's team that was ranked 40th in the preseason poll and finished the year at 18-12 with the program's second NCAA Tournament appearance in three years.

The Bears open their 2002 season Aug. 30-31 at the Long Beach State Mizuno Invitational. Baylor faces Loyola-Chicago in its season opener, Aug. 30 at 4 p.m. CDT.

For the complete poll, click here.