SELINSGROVE, PA – The Susquehanna University women’s volleyball team has been picked to finish fifth in the Commonwealth Conference during the upcoming season, according to the league’s eight head coaches.

The Crusaders finished 18-13 last season and fifth in the conference with a 3-4 league record, but first-year head coach John Tom welcomes eight letterwinners and five starters back from last season’s squad, including two-time first-team All-Commonwealth middle hitter Kerri Eshleman.

Juniata, which enters the season having won 252 consecutive conference matches, received all eight first-place votes to earn the top spot in the poll, followed by Moravian, Messiah, Lebanon Valley, Susquehanna, Widener, Elizabethtown and Albright. The top four teams in the standings will compete in the conference playoffs for the league title and an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Volleyball tournament.

The Crusaders open the 2003 season on Friday, September 5 at the Muhlenberg Tournament and play their Commonwealth Conference opener at Moravian on Tuesday, September 16. Susquehanna’s home opener is against Wilkes on Saturday, September 20 at noon.