Aug. 8, 2006
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SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara University volleyball team will enter the 2006 season with its highest preseason ranking ever, coming in at No. 6 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association's Preseason Poll. The sixth-ranked Broncos will begin their quest for a second-straight Final Four appearance August 25 in Fresno against the Pacific Tigers.
"It is definitely an honor to be ranked sixth in the nation, the highest Santa Clara has ever been ranked to begin a season," said head coach Jon Wallace. "With seven of the top 25 teams on our 2006 schedule, we look forward to the challenges that we will face this year."
SCU returns five starters from last season, including AVCA All-Americans Anna Cmaylo and Crystal Matich, as well as 2005 West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year Brittany Lowe and All-WCC performers Kim McGiven and Caroline Walters.
The Broncos will also seek their second consecutive WCC crown in 2006, as they were unanimously voted as the team to beat by the conference's coaches.
Nebraska secured the No. 1 spot for the second year in a row, while Penn State, Washington, Stanford and Florida round out the Top Five. The WCC landed three schools on the poll, as No. 19 Pepperdine and No. 20 San Diego joined Santa Clara in the rankings.
