OFFICIAL USA SOUTH RELEASE LINK

BREVARD, N.C. – The USA South Conference has released its annual preseason coaches poll for volleyball, picking the Brevard College volleyball team to finish eighth in the conference.

Southern Virginia was picked to defend its championship from a year ago thanks to receiving 81 total points and nine of the possible ten first-place votes. The Knights finished last season with a 16-2 regular season Conference record, claimed the East Division Championship, and captured the USA South Tournament crown. Meredith, who was second in the poll with 70 total points and the final first-place vote, was Southern Virginia's opponent in last year's tournament championship match. William Peace rounded out the top three with 67 points.

Pfeiffer University finished fourth with 60 points, while Greensboro College rounded out the top half of the poll with 49 points.

NC Wesleyan University (6^th place, 39 points) and Methodist University (7^th, 29 points) were placed just ahead of the Tornados, who totaled 24 points. Salem College (9^th place, 19 points) and Mary Baldwin University (10^th, 12 points) rounded out the preseason voting.

The 2022 USA South Volleyball Tournament will once again be conducted exclusively on campus sites. The top-eight seeded teams will advance to the tournament which will begin with first-round action on Tuesday, November 1. The semifinals will take place Thursday, November 3 with the finals occurring on Saturday, November 5. The higher-seeded team in each contest will host.

Brevard, under the direction of first-year Interim Head Coach Abbie Parde and Assistant Coach Brittany Franks, returns most of its key contributors from last season. In 2021, the Tornados finished as the West Division's five-seed and earned a berth to the USA South Conference Volleyball Tournament after an 8-8 regular season conference record.

The 2022 season opens next Saturday, September 3 at the Agnes Scott College Labor Day Smash in Decatur, Georgia, where the Tornados will face Toccoa Falls College at 10 a.m. before playing tournament host Agnes Scott at 4 p.m. BC's home-opener is slated for Friday, September 16 at 6 p.m. vs. Huntingdon College at the Boshamer Gymnasium as part of the two-day Tornado Classic on Friday and Saturday, September 16-17.

To follow the latest news and updates surrounding Brevard College Athletics, follow the Tornados on Twitter/Instagram @BCTornados, subscribe to 'Brevard College Tornados' on YouTube and SoundCloud, and follow 'Brevard College Tornado Athletics' on Facebook.  In addition, follow 'brevardcollege' on Flickr for photos from BC events.

-BC-