Irish, Comets Win Pre-Season Honors

Comets Tie For First In Coaches Poll; Irish East Division Player of Year

Player Mug
UTD's KELLI JACKSON
...Wins ASC Pre-Season Defensive Player
of the Year For Third Straight Season

RICHARDSON, TX - University of Texas at Dallas sophomore volleyball player Kyleigh Irish has been selected as the American Southwest Conference East Division Pre-Season Offensive Player of the Year.

The honor was announced Wednesday in conjunction with the annual ASC Pre-Season Coaches' Poll. UTD, which lost the ASC title game last season in three games, was predicted to tie with longtime power East Texas Baptist for the ASC East Division title in the poll, which included votes from coaches and sports information directors.

Texas Lutheran, which won the ASC West Division last season, was selected to repeat in that division.

Irish, a sophomore from San Antonio O'Connor HS, led the league last season with 61 service aces (.62 per game) and was UTD's kill leader with 334. She was the 2006 ASC East Division Newcomer of the Year, and a member of the prestigious ASC All-Conference Team as a freshman.

As a team, UTD and ETBU each received 63 points in the voting, but the Lady Tigers edged UTD with seven first-place votes. The Comets, who were 24-7 last season, had five. TLU received 11 of the 14 first-place votes in the West Division, finishing ahead of defending conference champion Hardin-Simmons, which had three.

The predicted finish from the poll was:

ASC EAST DIVISION
PLACE	TEAM (1st Place Votes)	PTS	2006 RECORD
1T	East Texas Baptist (7)	63	19-12, 15-2
1T	Texas-Dallas (5)	63	24-7, 15-2
3	Texas-Tyler	50	12-18, 9-8
4	Mary Hardin-Baylor	34	9-22, 5-12
5	Mississippi College	25	7-24, 4-13
6	LeTourneau	17	10-19, 4-13
ASC WEST DIVISION
PLACE	TEAM (1st Place Votes)	PTS	2006 RECORD
1	Texas Lutheran (11)	95	18-11, 15-3
2	Hardin-Simmons (3)	84	19-15, 14-4
3	Schreiner	61	11-15, 10-8
4	Sul Ross State	45	14-18, 10-8
5	McMurry	40	6-26, 4-14
6	Howard Payne	38	9-17, 6-12
7	Concordia Texas	40	6-26, 4-14