RICHMOND, Ky. - In a pre-season poll of the Ohio Valley Conference head volleyball coaches, Eastern Kentucky University's squad was picked to finish eighth in the 10-team 1999 race.

Southeast Missouri, last season's OVC Tournament champion, was a near unanimous choice to win the '99 league crown. Eastern Illinois, which earned its first regular season title in 1998, tied for Tennessee Tech in voting for second place. Rounding out the top five were Murray State in fourth and Austin Peay in fifth.

"There is no question. This ranking is very fair, based on last year's performance," said EKU head coach Lori Duncan. Eastern finished the '98 year at 3-23.

However, Duncan said she would be very disappointed if the team finished the year in eighth place at the end of the year.

"As long as we are free from injury, this group will, without question, make it to the OVC championship. We will be a very competitive team and surprise a lot of people. We have a lot to prove," Duncan added.

Juniors Courtney Bowen and Mary Lee Keranko, elected co-captains for the coming season, lead a mix of five juniors, five sophomores and eight seniors into the 1999 season for the Colonels. Bowen was recently selected as a pre-season second-team All-OVC choice.

Eastern opens its '99 season Sept. 1 at the University of Kentucky.