NEW ORLEANS, La.–The Sun Belt Conference released its 2008 Sun Belt Preseason Soccer Poll and All-Sun Belt Team Monday, with Denver receiving nine first-place votes by the league’s 12 head coaches.  Louisiana’s Kelli Jestes (Fort Collins, Colo.) and Callie Oliver (Texas City, Texas) were both named to the pre-season team. 

Jestes posted one of the best seasons in Ragin’ Cajuns soccer history.  She led the team with 20 points on the season finishing with the second best single-season performance in school history.  Jestes also scored the second-most goals in a single season, netting nine goals in her rookie campaign.  She finished the year one goal shy of Stacy Smith’s school record 10 goals set back in 2002 and finished the season with three match-winning goals – the most by a Cajuns’ player in 2007.  Jestes scored five goals against state schools, while netting five goals against Sun Belt Conference opponents.  She had goals against McNeese State, Grambling State, Southeastern Louisiana, Nicholls State, UALR, Arkansas State, Western Kentucky, Troy and ULM and also added a pair of assists on the season with helpers against Nicholls State and Troy.

Oliver was name team captain prior to the 2008 season after a tremendous junior season.  She played in 19 of the Cajuns’ 21 matches, with 11 starts to her credit and was second on the team with 15 points.  Oliver netted five goals, while adding five assists.  She had goals against Sam Houston State, McNeese State, Nicholls State, Arkansas State and Middle Tennessee.  Oliver had a season best two assists against UALR with additional assists against Sam Houston States, Houston and Florida Atlantic.  She registered 32 shots on the season with 15 shots on goal, posting eight matches with multiple shots, including three matches with multiple shots on goal.  Oliver had a season-high four shots against Grambling State, Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky, with all four shots against the Blue Raiders being on goal.

The Pioneers received 141 total points, followed by second-place North Texas with 128. Western Kentucky came in third (115), followed by Middle Tennessee (109), FAU (97), Louisiana (78), South Alabama (69), UALR (53) FIU (52), ULM (39), Arkansas State (33) and Troy (22).

North Texas sophomore Kendall Juett was named Preseason Player of the Year after starting all 23 games in 2007, as well as being selected first-team All-Sun Belt. The midfielder ranks in the top 10 all-time in four different offensive categories over her career. She is seventh all-time in assists (20), eighth in shots (141), ninth in points (62) and 10th in goals scored (21). Mean Green senior Brittany Cleveland also landed on the squad.