IRVING, Texas – The East Carolina volleyball team, under the direction of first-year head coach Chris Rushing, has been picked to finish 11th in Conference USA this upcoming season. The Pirates, who finished last season with a record of 11-18 (5-8 C-USA), return 10 letterwinners and all but one starter from last season's squad.

Rice was selected by the Conference USA volleyball coaches as the preseason favorite to win the 2005 C-USA Championship . The Owls return four starters and six letterwinners from a club that is coming off its most successful season in program history after receiving their first NCAA Tournament bid with a 25-5 (12-1 WAC) record in 2004. Marshall's Kelly-Anne Billingy was named the C-USA Preseason Player-of-the-Year after earning All-America honorable mention honors as well as being named the 2004 MAC Freshman-of-the-Year.

The 2005-06 season will see the introduction of six new programs to Conference USA. Marshall University, Rice University, Southern Methodist University (SMU), the University of Tulsa, the University of Central Florida (UCF), and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) will all begin competition in C-USA. These six schools will join East Carolina University, University of Houston, University of Memphis, University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss), Tulane University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

Marshall, another C-USA newcomer, was picked to finish second while Memphis is ranked third. Houston and SMU are tied for fourth followed by Tulane, Tulsa, UTEP, Southern Miss, ECU and UAB.

The Pirates will open the 2005 season at home against William & Mary Saturday, Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. in Minges Coliseum.

2005 CONFERENCE USA PRESEASON POLL
1. Rice (25-5, 12-1 WAC in 2005)
2. Marshall (22-11, 11-5 MAC)
3. Memphis (27-10, 9-4 C-USA)
T4. Houston (11-21, 5-8 C-USA)
T4. SMU (14-14, 5-8 WAC)
6. Tulane (17-12, 6-7 C-USA)
7. Tulsa (17-10, 5-8 WAC)
8. UCF (8-15, 5-5 Atlantic Sun)
9. UTEP (10-15, 2-11 WAC)
10. Southern Miss (7-20, 2-11 C-USA)
11. East Carolina (11-18, 5-8 C-USA)
12. UAB (1-24, 0-13 C-USA)

PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kelly-Anne Billingy, Marshall