HIGH POINT, N.C.- One year after a historic season, the
Belmont Abbey women’s volleyball team has
been selected as the favorite to win the Conference Carolinas
championship. Belmont Abbey returns its top three offensive threats
from last year’s 26-5 unit that won the Conference Carolinas
title for the first time in program history and advanced to the
NCAA Tournament.
Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year Mary DeJute welcomes back
2012 Freshman of the Year and first team all-conference selection
Hannah Schellenberg, as well as older sister Lydia, a second team
selection. Sophomore middle hitter Caitlin Hankins, a third team
selection, led the league in hitting percentage at .371, amassing
228 kills. DeJute welcomes 12 newcomers who will all challenge
upperclassmen for playing time.
Calling this the most talented team from top to bottom in her
tenure, DeJute scheduled a rigorous out of conference schedule,
starting out with a tournament at Florida Southern. The Crusaders
will have the luxury of closing the regular season with their last
seven matches coming at the Wheeler Center. Belmont Abbey finished
last year’s season 14-2 within the conference.
Grabbing second in the pre-season poll, the King
University women’s volleyball team returns the core
of its 2012 squad that finished with a 9-7 mark in conference play
and advanced to the conference tournament for the second
consecutive year.
Reigning Conference Carolinas Defensive Player of the Year and
second team all-conference performer Payton Tipton should anchor
the Tornado defense in her junior season after averaging 3.95 digs
per set a year ago. Two fellow all-conference selections, junior
outside hitter Summer Kremer and sophomore setter Olivia Underwood,
figure to play large roles in the Tornado offense. Kremer led the
conference with 448 kills and ranked second with an average of 3.70
kills per set in 2012, while Underwood’s 931 assists were
good for fourth in the conference in her freshman campaign. Not to
be outdone, Grace Underwood registered 67 blocks and 220 kills from
her middle blocker position during her rookie campaign.
Head coach Chris Toomey, who will be assisted by Heather
Claussen and Morris Cephas, enters his seventh season at the helm
looking to improve on last season’s third-place finish in the
west division. The team went 16-16 overall during the 2012
season.
Despite graduating seven players from last year’s Western
Division Conference Carolinas Championship Team, the
Erskine College Women’s
Volleyball Team (16-13, 13-3) has been voted 3rd
in the pre-season coaches’ poll. Erskine adds
nine new faces to their roster, the most since the addition of
volleyball as a varsity sport in 2009. However, even as a new
program in 2009, Coach Vahjen managed to guided her team to a
winning conference record and a trip to the conference
tournament.
While the Fleet may be young, adding seven freshmen to the team,
Erskine does have several key contributors from last year. Most
notably, 1st Team All-Conference honoree Caitlin Bullock
returns to the squad, who was fifth in the conference in kills per
set and seventh in kills overall. The Fleet also return sophomore
middle hitter Kelly Sullivan, who led the Fleet in service aces and
blocks last season as well as senior defensive specialist Anna
Butrym, who has averaged close to two digs per set over the last
two seasons. Junior setter Megan Johnson will now have an
opportunity to see regular playing after 4-time all-conference
honoree Larz Chabra’s graduation.
Pre-season poll was rounded out by North Greenville,
Lees-McRae, Mount Olive, Limestone, Barton, Pfeiffer, and
Converse respectively.
Conference
Carolinas Women’s Volleyball Preseason Poll
(# of First Place Votes in Parenthesis)