Aug. 20, 2008

FRISCO, Texas - Texas State has been picked to edge Stephen F. Austin, 114-113, in the Southland Conference Coaches' poll released Wednesday by the league office. The teams each received 111 votes in the Sports Information Director's poll.

Texas State received eight first place votes from the coaches poll and seven from the SIDs giving them 15 a possible 24 first place votes. Stephen F. Austin received three first place votes from the coaches poll and four from the SIDs.

Winners of three of the last four SLC tournament titles, Texas State returns six starters from a squad that knocked off the top two seeds in the 2007 SLC Tournament.

Stephen F. Austin poses a threat to repeat as regular season champions. Familiar territory for coach Debbie Humphreys who has won or shared the regular season title the last four years.

Lamar's Justin Gibert, the 2007 SLC Coach of the Year, led the Cardinals to their first regular-season league title posting a 15-1 conference record. It was their third season with 15 or more conference victories. His Cardinals received the remaining two first-place votes and return four starters including 2007 SLC Setter of the Year Adrianne Meengs.

The top vote recipient outside of first place votes is McNeese State with 159. Coach Dale Starr enters his fifth season and has four starters returning. The Cowgirls have been to 12 consecutive conference tournaments.

Coach Diane Seymour and the UT Arlington Mavericks received 157 points. She enters her fifth season with the Mavs having clinched an SLC tournament berth in three of her four seasons while amassing 74 wins.

Though not eligible for postseason play until the 2010 season, UCA coach Steven McRoberts and the Sugar Bears would have qualified for the last two SLC tournaments having won 43 regular season games during the past two seasons. Central Arkansas received 145 points and return six starters including 2007 SLC Freshman of the Year Chloe Smith.

UTSA received 142 votes. Coach Laura Neugebauer-Groff and the Roadrunners enter the 2008 season riding a five-year streak of conference tournaments and return five starters.

Sam Houston State coach Brenda Gray and the Bearkats tallied 115 points and return five starters from a team that advanced to the confernce tournament a season ago.

In three seasons as Northwestern State coach Brittany Uffelman has made the conference tournament each year. The Demons return four starters to a team that won their first post season match under Coach Uffelman.

A&M-Corpus Christi, Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls State round out the poll selections. The Islanders received 67 points with SLU and NSU each grabbing 32 points.

COACHES POLL
West Division
Texas State (8)              114
Lamar (1)                        73
UT Arlington                   75
UTSA                             73
Sam Houston State         59
A&M-Corpus Christi        36

East Division
Stephen F. Austin (3)     113
McNeese State               78
Central Arkansas             67
Northwestern State          46
Southeastern Louisiana   16
Nicholls State                 15
(First-place votes)


SID POLL
West Division
Texas State (7)              111
Lamar (1)                      101
UT Arlington                   72
UTSA                             69
Sam Houston State         56
A&M-Corpus Christi        31

East Division
Stephen F. Austin (4)     111
Central Arkansas             78
McNeese State               71
Northwestern State          46
Nicholls State                 17
Southeastern Louisiana   16