BREVARD, N.C. – The USA South Conference volleyball coaches have released their annual preseason coaches poll, selecting the Brevard College volleyball team to finish in seventh place in the USA South West Division.

Maryville was picked to repeat as division champions, with seven first-place votes and 63 points. Huntingdon grabbed the other pair of votes for the top spot in the division, while tallying 56 points for a second place finish. Covenant (49 points), LaGrange (40 points), Berea (37 points), and Piedmont (32 points) all finished ahead of the Tornados, who earned 24 points in the tabulation. Agnes Scott and Wesleyan rounded out the poll in eighth and ninth place. 

Due to complications stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 volleyball seasons were postponed until the spring semester. Despite the delay to the start of the season, the USA South is prepared to offer regular season and championship experiences for its student-athletes despite the NCAA's cancelation of the national Division III tournament. An adjustment to this season's competition is that USA South volleyball teams will be competing in Conference-sponsored regular season and tournament action against teams within their division only.

The Spring 2021 USA South Volleyball postseason will consist of an East Division and a West Division Tournament. The top-four seeded teams from each division will advance to the respective tournaments. The winners of those events will be crowned Divisional Conference Champions. There will be no overall USA South Champion this season.

The Tornados, under the direction of sixth-year Head Coach Anna Grant and first-year Assistant Coach Kia Kaufman, return a majority of its supporting cast from a year ago, including four starters and eight newcomers to the BC roster.

Returning sophomore Breanna O'Shields led BC in kills (198), kills-per-set (2.13), and points (212.5) in 2019. BC's leading blocker, sophomore Sarah Hutchens, also returns to the team, while senior Raley Shirey and junior Brook Groves also return to BC's offensive attack.

For the first time as members of the USA South, the Tornados are eligible for postseason play. While the NCAA previously canceled championship events for fall sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the USA South will still crown divisional champions in Men's and Women's Soccer and Volleyball. These three sports will compete via an intra-divisional, single-round robin format amongst the top-four teams in each division, culminating with post-season divisional tournaments. The first round of the USA South Conference Volleyball West Division Tournament is scheduled for Wednesday, April 14, while the West Division Championship game is slated for Saturday, April 17.

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-BC-