Emmanuel Picked as Favorite in 2020-21 Women’s Volleyball Preseason Poll
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Two-time defending Conference Carolinas Women’s Volleyball Tournament champion Emmanuel has been chosen as the favorite in the 2020-21 Conference Carolinas Women’s Volleyball Preseason Poll.
The conference office officially unveiled the preseason poll on Dec. 11, 2020. The preseason poll was voted on by the league’s head coaches.
Emmanuel won the Conference Carolinas South Division title in the 2018 season before sharing the West Division title in the 2019 regular season. Emmanuel picked up a total of 93 points and five first-place votes to garner the top spot in the 2020-21 preseason poll. Emmanuel shared the West Division title with King in 2019 and the Tornado are right behind the Lions in the 2020-21 preseason poll with 87 total points and one first-place vote.
The East Division champions in the 2019 regular season, Belmont Abbey was picked third in the preseason poll with a total of 83 points. The Crusaders collected three first-place votes. Barton had one first-place vote and 71 total points to sit fourth in the preseason poll, while North Greenville picked up the final first-place vote and a total of 66 points to acquire the fifth spot in the preseason poll.
Lees-McRae (65) was sixth in the preseason poll followed by Converse (42), Erskine (35), Mount Olive (24), Southern Wesleyan (21) and Chowan (18).
The 2020-21 Conference Carolinas women’s volleyball schedule will not feature divisions, but the conference will move back to an East-West divisional format in the 2021-22 academic year.
The 2021 Conference Carolinas Women’s Volleyball Championship will get underway with pool play at higher seeds on Saturday, April 10.
The 2021 Conference Carolinas Men’s and Women’s Volleyball Championships semifinals and finals will be contested on Saturday, April 17 (semifinals) and Sunday, April 18 (finals) in Bristol, Tennessee on the campus of King University.
2020-21 Conference Carolinas
Women’s Volleyball Preseason Poll
| School |
First Place |
Total |
| Emmanuel |
5 |
93 |
| King |
1 |
87 |
| Belmont Abbey |
3 |
83 |
| Barton |
1 |
71 |
| North Greenville |
1 |
66 |
| Lees-McRae |
|
65 |
| Converse |
|
42 |
| Erskine |
|
35 |
| Mount Olive |
|
24 |
| Southern Wesleyan |
|
21 |
| Chowan |
|
18 |
2020-21 Conference Carolinas Women’s Volleyball
Players to Watch
Barton
Kaytlin Elkins, Sr., Outside Hitter, Hope Mills, North Carolina (2017, 2018 and 2019 All-Conference Carolinas, 2018 All-Tournament, 2017 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year)
Allison Gambill, So., Outside Hitter, Hickory, North Carolina (2019 All-Conference Carolinas, 2019 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year)
Caroline Schoonover, Fr., Outside Hitter/Right Side, Lutz, Florida
Belmont Abbey
Hailey Ryan, Jr., Outside Hitter, Charleston, South Carolina
Paige Rawlins, Jr., Libero/Defensive Specialist, Pickerington, Ohio
Lauren Hamitlon, Jr., Outside Hitter, Concord, North Carolina
Chowan
Anixa Rosa-Martinez, So., Outside Hitter, San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico
Natalia Vega-Aponte, Jr., Defensive Specialist, Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Converse
Kiara Cannon, Sr., Outside Hitter, Simpsonville, South Carolina
Elizabeth Yohe, Jr., Defensive Specialist/Libero, Summerville, South Carolina (2019 All-Conference Carolinas)
Ansley Hodge, Sr., Outside Hitter, Spartanburg, South Carolina
Emmanuel
Taylor Roberts, Jr., Middle Blocker, Rome Georgia (2019 All-Conference Carolinas, 2019 All-Tournament)
Hallie Richardson, Jr., Outside Hitter, Fayette, Alabama
Vic Alexander, Jr., L, Miami, Florida
Erskine
Katy Torgerson, Jr., Middle Hitter, Summerville, South Carolina
Reilly Bartlett, Sr., Setter/Opposite, Lexington, South Carolina
Kaile Tuisamatatele, Sr., Middle Hitter, Kapolei, Hawaii
King
Julie Ward, Jr., Outside Hitter, Berthoud, Colorado (2018 and 2019 All-Conference Carolinas, 2018 and 2019 All-Tournament, 2019 Conference Carolinas Player of the Year, 2019 All-Region, 2019 All-American, 2018 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year)
Kayley Holtzclaw, Sr., Middle Blocker, Kingsport, Tennessee (2019 All-Conference Carolinas)
Brittney Ramsey, Jr., Middle Blocker, Afton, Tennessee (2019 All-Conference Carolinas)
Lees-McRae
Caitlyn Smirne, Sr., Outside Hitter, Winterville, North Carolina (2019 All-Conference Carolinas)
Olivia Ney, So., Middle Blocker, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Mount Olive
Amara Eziakonwa, So., Middle Blocker/Right Side/Outside Hitter, Tampa, Florida
Starr Sergent, So., Outside Hitter, Mililani, Hawaii
Alyssa Jackson, So., Middle Blocker, Goldsboro, North Carolina
North Greenville
Paige Beisecker, Jr., Middle Blocker, Hartsville, South Carolina (2018 All-Conference Carolinas)
Erin Allen, Outside Hitter, Jr., Pompano Beach, Florida
Abigail Durham, So., Right Side, Easley, South Carolina
Southern Wesleyan
Olivia Johnson, Sr., Outside Hitter, Anderson, South Carolina (2018 All-Conference Carolinas)
Darby Sheets, Jr., Outside Hitter, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Amber Bass, So., Middle Blocker, Chester, South Carolina
