Day Three: Volleyball Picked Third In PreSeason Poll

Charuk, Tryon Named To Preseason All-Conference Team

The University of Houston volleyball team was picked to finished third in the 2011 Conference USA Preseason Coaches Poll, while senior Lucy Charuk and junior Chandace Tryon earned spots on the Preseason All-C-USA Team the conference office announced on Thursday.

Tulsa, tabbed the preseason favorites, collected 142 points in the preseason poll. SMU followed in second with 125 points and the Cougars were a close third with 122 points.

"I am really happy to be picked third in the preseason poll," head coach Molly Alvey said. "It shows the respect the other coaches are giving us and that others are seeing how hard we are working. On the other hand, these sorts of tools are just a way to promote excitement for the season. As far as the team, we will continue to train the same way if we were picked third, first or last."

Houston began preseason practice on Tuesday with eight letterwinners and three starters returning to lead the squad. The Cougars finished the 2010 campaign with a 19-13 overall record and a 13-7 mark in C-USA action.

Alvey spent the summer refining her coaching techniques while serving on the coaching staffs for the Bring It Promotions/USA Developmental Blue Team in Beijing and the A2 Junior National Team that competed in Pula, Croatia.

Charuk, a three-time C-USA Preseason selection, spent much of her summer training and competing with the Canadian National Team in Winnipeg. The British Columbia native led Houston with 361 kills, 148 blocks and was second with a .348 hitting percentage in 2010. She ranked second in the league in blocks per set (1.26), third in hitting percentage, seventh in points 94.04) and 11th in kills per set (3.09). After earning AVCA Midwest All-Region and All-C-USA First Team honors last season, Charuk collected her second AVCA All-America honorable mention award.

Tryon also earned All-C-USA First Team honors in 2010 after leading the league with a .353 hitting percentage. The junior slapped 285 kills in 629 attempts with only 63 errors on the season. She ranked in the league's top 20 for kills (2.61) and points per set (3.06).

"We talk about the fact that the preseason team is a prediction and it should be motivation for Lucy and Chandace to live up to that prediction and accomplish the same things that they did last year," Alvey said. "The respect and recognition from the conference are great but you have to go out and earn those accolades with your play. The preseason team is a team effort so if you don't win than no one makes it. So as a team we need to continue to win and I know Lucy and Chandace will continue to be motivated."

Houston will begin the 2011 season when they host the Flo Hyman Collegiate Cup, Aug. 26-27, at the Athletics Alumni Center.