Aug. 21, 2003

BAY CITY, Mich. - The head volleyball coaches of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) chose Grand Valley State University to win the league's North Division, and the University of Findlay to take the South Division in preseason balloting. The WSU Warriors were picked to finish in fifth place in the South Division with 10 total points.

Grand Valley State, 2002 GLIAC North Division and tournament champion, received 35 points and five of the six first-place votes it was eligible for. Northwood University garnered 30 points and the two remaining first-place votes. Northern Michigan University placed third in the division with 26 points. Ferris State University finished fourth with 22 points.

Michigan Tech University placed fifth in the division with 17 points, followed by Lake Superior State University (11 points) and Saginaw Valley State University (6).

Findlay, which tied for last season's South Division crown, received 23 points and four first-place votes in the poll. The Oilers edged out Mercyhurst College, which also tied for the 2002 South Division title, by one point (23-22). The Lakers received the two remaining first-place nods.

Gannon University tallied 15 points to finish fourth, followed by Wayne State University (10 points), and Ashland University (9). The GLIAC proved to be one of Division II's toughest conferences last season, sending three teams -- Grand Valley State, Northwood, and Ferris State -- to the NCAA II Great Lakes Region Tournament. Grand Valley State emerged as the regional champion, earning a trip to the "Elite Eight," Division II's national championship tournament, reaching the semifinals before bowing out.

Each of the GLIAC's 13 coaches voted for the division in which they play, but were not allowed to vote for their own team. The first-place team in the North Division ballot received six points, while the second-place team received five points, etc. The first-place team in the South Division received five points, while the second-place team received four points, etc.

WSU begins it season Friday, August 29 against Western Oregon at the Clash in the Foothills in Golden, Colo.

2003 GLIAC Preseason Volleyball Coaches Poll

South Division

Team	First-Place Votes	Points
Findlay	4	23
Mercyhurst	2	22
Gannon	-	15
Hillsdale	-	11
Wayne State	-	10
Ashland	-	9

North Division

Team	First-Place Votes	Points
Grand Valley State	5	35
Northwood	2	30
Northern Michigan	-	26
Ferris State	-	22
Michigan Tech	-	17
Lake Superior State	-	11
Saginaw Valley State	-	6