UCI picked to finish fifth

The UC Irvine women’s volleyball team has been picked to finish fifth

in the Big West Conference in the coaches’ preseason poll.

UC Santa Barbara was picked to finish first, receiving six

first-place votes. Long Beach State was chosen to finish second while

University of the Pacific and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo were picked to

finish third and fourth, respectively.

The Anteaters, were 18-11 last season, 11-7 in conference. They

finished in a fourth-place tie in the Big West and earned their

second straight NCAA tournament berth.

UCI is led by Amanda Vazquez, a 6-foot-1 senior middle blocker who

was named to two all-tournament teams during the 2004 regular season.

Vazquez received honorable mention in all-conference voting and ranks

fourth in UCI annals with 244 block assists.

UCI also returns outside hitter Trisha White, a 5-11 junior, who

totaled 217 kills, 24 service aces and 186 digs last season, and 5-8

senior libero Keegan Featherstone, who had a team-high 438 digs last

season.

UCI, coached by Charlie Brande, opens Aug. 26 at home against San

Diego.