Aug. 22, 2006

A-10 Preseason Coaches Poll

PHILADELPHIA - With the 2006 fall regular seasons beginning this weekend, Atlantic 10 coaches have released their predictions for how the final standings of each sport will turn out. The Flyers participate in five Atlantic 10 Conference sports during the fall season. Each team is projected to finish in the top 10, including the women's volleyball team which is picked to win its division.

The volleyball team, the defending A-10 champion, looks to improve on its 24-win season from a year ago and once again finish atop the A-10 West Division. The Temple Owls, which UD defeated 3-0 in last season's conference championship game, is predicted to capture the East title.

The Flyer women's soccer team is selected to finish second behind defending A-10 champion Saint Louis. The Billikens, which went undefeated in Atlantic 10 play last year, eliminated UD in last season's conference tournament in the semifinals.

The UD men's soccer team is also expected to finish in the top five of the conference, despite losing seven starters from the 2005 squad which was eliminated in the conference semifinals. Like women's soccer, Saint Louis is the coaches' favorite to win the A-10.

After each of the cross country teams finished eighth in 2005, both squads are projected to be in the middle of the pack once again. The men's squad is selected eighth, with the women falling one slot to ninth. La Salle is the popular choice to finish atop the standings in both men's and women's cross country.

All five teams are in action this weekend. Volleyball hosts the Dayton Flyer Classic Friday and Saturday at the Frericks Center. Men's soccer is at Northwestern University's Lakeside Classic Friday and Sunday. Women's soccer is at Toledo Friday and both men's and women's cross country will run their Intra-squad 5K Saturday morning.