Aug. 21, 2007
2007 Fall A-10 Coaches Polls in PDF Format
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PHILADELPHIA - With the fall sports season ready to commence, the Atlantic 10 head coaches have predicted how the 2007 season will unfold.
VOLLEYBALL
The Flyer volleyball team was picked to finish second in the Atlantic 10 West Division behind defending A-10 Champion Saint Louis. UD and SLU shared the A-10 Regular Season crown last year with the Billikens edging the Flyers in the A-10 Championship Match. UD returns 10 letterwinners from last year's squad, which won its third straight Atlantic 10 Regular Season Title and advanced to the A-10 Championship Match for the fourth time in as many years. That group includes 2006 A-10 Setter of the Year Erin Schroeder as well as A-10 First Team pick Jamie-Lee Richards and A-10 Second Team selection Robynne Green.
Dayton added to its strong core group with one of the most talented recruiting classes in the country. The "Flyer Five" of Rachel Broerman, Tiffany Gaerke, Kacie Hausfeld, Yvonne Marten and Becky Novacek was rated as the 22nd best recruiting class in the nation according to PrepVolleyball.com.
UD will host the Dayton Flyer Classic beginning on Friday with a 7 p.m. match against IPFW. Then on Saturday, Dayton will face Bowling Green at 11 a.m. and Illinois at 7:30 p.m. All six matches (including the non-UD matches) of the Dayton Flyer Classic can be followed with Gametracker at www.DaytonFlyers.com. In addition the UD match vs. Illinois can be viewed live with FREE video streaming at www.DaytonFlyers.com.
WOMEN'S SOCCER
Dayton women's soccer is projected to place third in the 14-team Atlantic 10 Conference race, just behind 2006 A-10 Champion Saint Louis and Charlotte. With the loss of only one senior, the Flyers return nine of their 11 starters and 19 letterwinners from a young 2006 squad that went 8-7-3, finishing in a tie for fifth place in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Seven seniors headline the group, all having contributed greatly since stepping on campus in 2004.
The Flyers return all five of their top scorers from last season, including returning sophomores Mandi Bäck (7g, 2a) and Caitlin Proffitt (5g, 1a) and will add eight incoming freshmen to the mix.
UD will head North to take on Michigan in its final exhibition on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. The Flyers kickoff the 2007 season at Big West Conference members Cal Poly on Friday, Aug. 31 at 10:00 p.m. ET in San Luis Obispo, California.
MEN'S SOCCER
UD men's soccer was selected to finish seventh in the A-10 behind 2006 A-10 Champ Rhode Island, Saint Louis, Charlotte, Richmond, Duquesne and Xavier. Dayton will look to improve upon the prognosticators in order to earn itself a spot in the six-team 2007 Atlantic 10 Men's Soccer, scheduled for its own Baujan Field from Nov. 15-18.
The new challenge for the still-maturing Flyers and head coach Dennis Currier is to keep building on the progress made at the end of last season. After ending the 2006 season 6-9-2 overall and 2-5-2 in the Atlantic 10, Currier stockpiled the roster with talented offensive players and gritty defenders to play an exciting style of blue-collar soccer.
Dayton's first test will come in its own Dayton Marriott Flyer Classic on Friday, Aug. 31 and Sunday, Sep. 2. UD will play host to Sacramento State at 8 p.m. ET on Friday and St. Francis (PA) on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET.
MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
The Flyer men's cross country squad was picked to finish seventh in the Conference after an eighth place performance at last year's Atlantic 10 Championships.
Back for veteran head coach Rich Davis is an experienced team led by two-time All-Atlantic 10 selection Mike Andersen. The 2005 A-10 Rookie of the Year will be bolstered by a roster that consists of seven upperclassmen.
UD will host its annual Flyer 5K Challenge on Saturday, Sept. 1 at Indian Riffle Park. The men's race is slated to begin at 10:45 a.m. ET.
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Dayton women's cross country is projected to repeat last year's ninth place finish at the Atlantic 10 Championships under the direction of third-year head coach Ann Alyanak.
Sophomores Kristin Terry and Alex Miles return for their second collegiate seasons looking build on valuable experience gained last year. Terry was named UD's Most Valuable Runner while Miles garnered 2006 Rookie of the Year honors.
UD will host its annual Flyer 5K Challenge on Saturday, Sept. 1 at Indian Riffle Park. The women's race is slated to begin at 11:00 a.m. ET.
