Fayetteville, N.C. - The USA South Athletic Conference has released its 2014 fall sport preseason coaches polls for volleyball, soccer and cross country.  North Carolina Wesleyan's volleyball squad received a 5th-place billing in the league's North Division, while men's soccer was also tabbed 5th, women's soccer 9th and cross country 10th in their respective polls.

In volleyball, 15th-year head coach Robin Pietryk's Bishops earned 62 total points and 24 division points en route to a 5th-place finish in the North and 8th-place selection overall. Pietryk looks to return the Bishops to the top tier of the USA South standings this season after seeing a string of six straight 20-win seasons end last fall.  Elsewhere around the league, Maryville and Meredith were picked to win their respective divisions, with the Scots taking the overall poll with 12 first-place votes.

In men's soccer, 4th-year head coach Frankie Taal's squad was tabbed 5th in its poll, picking up 59 total points in the voting.  The Bishops are looking to rebound from a 7-9-2 campaign last season, and Taal hopes to do so with 25 returning letterwinners this fall, including six starters.  Greensboro College was tabbed the preseason favorite with five first-place votes.

On the women's side, 8th-year head coach Beverly Biancur hopes her Bishops are a surprise team in the league after earning a 9th-place billing in their poll.  Wesleyan has posted back-to-back 6-10-1 slates the past two seasons, and the Bishops look to turn the corner this fall with seven returning starters and a wealth of talented newcomers. At the top of the poll was Piedmont College with seven first-place votes.

Finally, women's cross country returns to competition after a three-year hiatus. Head Coach Andres Amores is not surprised by his team's 10th-place finish in their poll, but the first-year coach is confident that his Bishops will be competitive on the course. Defending champion Meredith was picked to repeat by securing ten first-place votes.

Season-opening matches are not far away as women's soccer and volleyball open up at home next Friday, August 29th, at 4:30pm and 5:00pm, respectively. The Bishop men are in action the following day at Methodist University's kick-off tourney, while cross country will race in its first meet on September 12th at Barton College. 

To view the complete USA South coaches poll in each sport, please visit www.usasouth.net.