The Valparaiso University volleyball team has been selected to finish in second place in the Mid-Continent Conference for the 2003 season by the league's head coaches.

Head Coach Carin Avery's squad received two first place votes and finished two points behind pre-season favorite IUPUI in the balloting. Five-time regular season champion Oral Roberts was picked third, followed by UMKC and Western Illinois. Oakland was selected to finish in sixth place, while Chicago State and Centenary, the Mid-Con's newest member, rounded out the poll.

The Crusaders finished in a second place tie in the Mid-Con in 2002 with a 9-3 conference mark. Their 20-10 overall record marked the first 20-win season since 1996.

Valpo will open the regular season on August 29 with a 2:30 p.m. CDT match against Bucknell and a 9:30 p.m. CDT contest against Cal State Fullerton in Fullerton, Calif.

2003 Mid-Continent Conference Preseason Poll
1. IUPUI (4) - 45
2. Valparaiso (2) - 43
3. Oral Roberts (2) - 41
4. UMKC - 31
5. Western Illinois - 23
6. Oakland - 21
7. Chicago State - 12
8. Centenary - 8
(First place votes in parentheses)