Volleyball ranked No. 2 in preseason poll

Pitt women’s soccer goalie Rachel Brown has been chosen as the Big East preseason goalkeeper… Pitt women’s soccer goalie Rachel Brown has been chosen as the Big East preseason goalkeeper of the year.

Brown, a senior, was selected as the 2000 Big East goalkeeper of the year and was also named to the preseason All-Big East Team, which is selected by the conference’s 14 coaches.

“It’s great for the team and the University,” said Pitt head coach Roland Sturk. “Rachel is the first women’s soccer player here to get those types of honors, which is proof of the types of players we’re starting to bring to Pittsburgh.”

Brown, who originally hails from Burnley, England, had a strong 2000 season, surrendering less than two goals a game on average. Her 1.73 goals against average stands as a school record. She also set a school record with 16 saves against Big East champion Notre Dame.

She joined the Panthers before the 2000 season after transferring from the University of Alabama. She was named to the South Eastern Conference All-American Tournament Team as a freshman after starting 21 matches. Brown was also a first team all-SEC selection in 1998 and 1999.

Brown, who left Alabama as the all-time single-season saves leader with 142 in a season, also has experience on the national level as a member of the British National Team. She served as the backup goalkeeper for the English in a World Cup qualifying match against Germany and also played club soccer for the Liverpool Ladies.

Brown’s extensive resume also includes the distinction of being the youngest player, at 15 years old, to play in a Futbol Association Cup final in Europe, leading Liverpool to the FA Cup Final in 1996.

The Panthers begin the 2001 season Aug. 31 against Central Michigan at Founders Field in Indianola, Pa. The game kicks off at 7:30.

o Pitt’s volleyball team, which experienced its most successful season in recent memory, was picked to finish second in the 2001 Big East Conference preseason poll.

The poll, which was voted on by the league’s head coaches, put the Panthers behind defending Big East champion Notre Dame. Pitt received a total of 123 total points, which included two first-place votes. The team finished ahead of third-place Rutgers, who was the runner-up to Notre Dame last season.

Pitt finished third in the Big East last season under the tutelage of first-year head coach Chris Beerman and advanced to the Big East Tournament. The team put up 22 wins last season, doubling its win total from the previous year and marking its most since the 1996 season.

Sophomore Wendy Hatlestad was one of six players to earn preseason all-Big East honors. A unanimous all-rookie team selection as a freshman last year, she is one of three returning starters for Pitt. The 6-foot-3-inch right side averaged 1.83 kills and .7 blocks per game. She was second on the team with a .248 hitting percentage. This summer she was one of 14 players selected to train as part of the A-2 Women’s National Volleyball team at the U.S. Olympic training center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

o For the ninth consecutive year, Pitt’s men’s swimming team was named a 2001 College Swimming Coaches Association of America Academic All-American Team with a combined grade-point average of 2.82.

To be considered by the CSCAA, the team must have a combined GPA of at least 2.8 for the semester, and all swimmers who competed in any meet for the team during the semester must be included in the average. Pitt ranked 29th among all Division I men’s swimming teams.

Pitt won its fifth consecutive Big East championship in 2000-01 and its 16th in 19 years as a member of the conference.

Eleven members of the 2000-01 squad were named Big East Academic All-Stars for their work in the classroom and the pool this year. All honorees must be letter winners who have earned at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA during the year.

Blair Beal, Pat Dinan, Will Eden, Adrian Figueroa, Mike Grube, Jeremiah Heath, Arda Kostem, Eric Limkemann, Josh Quinn, Patrick Shedlock and Michael Wells made up the roster of this years honorees.