Belmont Abbey Women’s Volleyball Team Tops the Pre-season Coaches Poll

Belmont Abbey Women’s Volleyball Team Tops the Pre-season Coaches Poll

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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)

Belmont Abbey

79

(7)

King  

68

(3)

Erskine

65

 

North Greenville

52

 

Lees-McRae

48

 

Mount Olive  

47

 

Limestone

29

 

Barton

26

 

Pfeiffer

24

 

Converse  

12