Alex Allen, Copy Editor
This past week, all of Lynchburg College’s fall sports teams were given their preseason poll rankings. This year, each LC fall athletics team was ranked in the top five of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC). The preseason poll rankings are determined by all of the coaches in the ODAC.
The first team given their ranking was the Women’s Volleyball team. They were given 84 points and earned the fifth-place spot out of 12 teams. Last year, they ended their season with a total of 19 wins, eight of which were conference wins.
Looking forward to starting her senior season, Lynn Walsh had this to say about her team’s fifth-place ranking, “We are using the preseason poll as motivation in the gym. We know the kind of team we are and what we are capable of. Myself and the other seniors are excited to lead this awesome and talented group.”
Next up, for the preseason polls, were the Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams. The women’s team was placed in fourth alongside Bridgewater College. Both teams earned a total of 91 points leaving them tied for the ranking. For the men’s team, it was determined by the ODAC that they deserved a preseason poll ranking of third. They gained the third place ranking by earning 81 points overall.
The next fall sports teams at LC to receive preseason rankings were the Men’s and Women’s Soccer teams. Both teams ended last year with winning seasons. The men not only won the conference championship but also reached the NCAA second round, which helped them gain a total of 111 points and three first-place votes in this year’s preseason poll. Although they were not given first, they were still ranked second, only four points behind Washington and Lee University.
The women’s team also reached the NCAA second round last year. During the preseason poll they had six first-place votes along with a total of 138 points, which allowed them to tie for a first-place ranking with Washington and Lee University.
Ending the preseason polls for fall sports was the Women’s Field Hockey team. They were ranked second after ending last season at an overall record of 11-7 and remained undefeated in conference.
Fall sports begin their 2017-18 season debut on the first of September.