LANCASTER, Pa. – Gettysburg College was predicted to finish tied for third in the Centennial Conference this fall according to the preseason volleyball coaches' poll.

Each of the top four teams received at least one first-place vote with Gettysburg and Swarthmore College each grabbing one and totaling 80 points. Franklin & Marshall College, last season's regular-season runner-up, took home the top position with eight-first place votes and 98 points. Four-time defending champion Haverford College nabbed runner-up with one first-place nod and 87 points.

It was a tight race in the middle of the poll with McDaniel College (64 points) edging Johns Hopkins University (57 points) and Muhlenberg College (56 points). The remaining teams in the poll were Dickinson College (42 points), Ursinus College (30 points), Washington (Md.) College (17 points), and Bryn Mawr College (14 points).

The Bullets placed third in the conference last fall, finishing with a 7-3 league mark and 19-9 record overall. Gettysburg, which leads all Centennial programs with 11 league championships, lost to Haverford in the conference tournament finals in 2009.

The Orange and Blue open the 2010 season at home with the Battlefield Classic on Sept. 3-4. Opening matches begin at 3 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday.

2010 Centennial Conference
Volleyball Preseason Poll
School (1st Place Votes) Points
1. Franklin & Marshall (8) 98
2. Haverford (1) 87
T3. Gettysburg (1) 80
T3. Swarthmore (1) 80
5. McDaniel 64
6. Johns Hopkins 57
7. Muhlenberg 56
8. Dickinson 42
9. Ursinus 30
10. Washington 17
11. Bryn Mawr 14