CINCINNATI --- The head coaches of the Atlantic 10 have predicted the outcome of the 2002 Fall sports season including the finish of Xavier's five fall sports teams.

XU's cross country teams were selected to place eighth and 10th in the women's and men's polls respectively. The Musketeers, under the direction of Scott Swain (5th year), placed seventh in the A-10 Women's Championship and 10th in the A-10 Men's Championship last year. This year, the women return Jennie Illig (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Twp. H.S.) who placed 16th in the A-10 Championship last season. Drew LaMaster (Prospect, Ky./South Oldham H.S.) returns for the men's squad after a 10th place finish in last year's A-10 Championship.

The volleyball team, led by Floyd Deaton (260-143, 13th season), was selected to finish fourth in the A-10 behind Temple, Dayton and Rhode Island. The top four teams in the conference will play in the A-10 Tournament which will be held at Xavier's Cintas Center on Nov. 22 & 23. Last season, the Musketeers were 26-5 overall and 13-3 in A-10 play while winning the Conference Tournament and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. This year, they return three starters including AVCA Northeast Region Freshman of the Year Molly Martin (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins H.S.), 2001 All A-10 selection Katey Wygant (Papillion, Neb./Papillion La Vista H.S.) and 2001 All A-10 Tourney Team member Kimberly Cockerel (Louisville, Ky./Assumption H.S.).

Xavier's women's soccer team, a semifinalist in last year's A-10 Tournament under the direction of Ron Quinn (107-66-10, 10th season), was selected to finish sixth out of 12 teams after a 9-8-1 overall record last year and a 7-3-1 mark in A-10 action. The Atlantic 10 coaches selected Dayton, Richmond, Massachusetts and La Salle as the top four candidates to advance to the A-10 Tourney on Nov. 8-10 at the University of Dayton. The Musketeers return seven starters from last season including Preseason All-Conference pick Nicole Giesting (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley H.S.) as well as junior defender Tracy Kennedy (Lakeside Park, Ky./Holy Cross H.S.) and senior goal keeper Megan Veith (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Ursula H.S.).

The Musketeer men's soccer team was picked to finish eighth out of 12 teams in the Atlantic 10 this season. Xavier, led by 12th year Head Coach Jack Hermans, returns five starters from last year's squad which was 7-11-1 overall and 5-6 in the A-10, good for sixth in the conference. Tiest Sondaal (Tilburg, The Netherlands/Catholic University Brabant), a Preseason All-Conference selection will lead the team in its quest towards a berth in the A-10 Tournament on Nov. 15-17 at the University of Richmond.