GREENVILLE, S.C. – Defending tournament champion Emmanuel University has been picked atop the 2024 Conference Carolinas Women’s Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
The conference office officially unveiled the preseason poll on August 27. The preseason poll was voted on by the league’s head coaches.
Emmanuel won their third tournament title last season after earning the third seed in the tournament with a 14-3 league mark. The Lions claimed a share of the Southwest Division crown with a 7-1 divisional record and finished the season with a 22-11 mark. The sixth seed in the NCAA Women's Volleyball Southeast Region collected 7-of-15 first place votes and 182 points to claim the top spot in the preseason poll. Emmanuel shared the Southwest Division title with North Greenville University who is picked to finish third with 175 points and two first place votes. 2023 Conference Carolinas Tournament top seed, the University of Mount Olive collected five first place votes and 172 points as the Trojans check in third. 2023 East Division champion and tournament runner-up, UNC Pembroke took the final first place vote and 167 points in the fourth slot. Francis Marion University rounded out the top five with 143 points.
2023 Northwest Division champion Lees-McRae College is picked sixth with 137 points as they are followed by Converse University with 105 points. Young Harris College, 90 points, Barton College, 84 points, and King University, 83 points, rounded out the top 10.
Chowan University and Belmont Abbey College tied for 11th with 62 points while new member Shorter University followed with 52 points. Erskine College, 39 points, and Southern Wesleyan University, 22 points, rounded out the poll.
The 2024 season gets underway on Thursday, September 5 with conference play beginning on September 18. The first two rounds of the conference tournament will take place on campus sites at the higher seeds on November 16 or 17. The quarterfinals, semifinals and championship, will be played at the North Charleston Athletic Center in North Charleston, South Carolina on November 22-24.
2024 Conference Carolinas
Women's Volleyball Preseason Poll
|
School |
Total (First Place) |
| 1 |
Emmanuel |
182 (7) |
| 2 |
North Greenville |
175 (2) |
| 3 |
Mount Olive |
172 (5) |
| 4 |
UNC Pembroke |
167 (1) |
| 5 |
Francis Marion |
143 |
| 6 |
Lees-McRae |
137 |
| 7 |
Converse |
105 |
| 8 |
Young Harris |
90 |
| 9 |
Barton |
84 |
| 10 |
King |
83 |
| T11 |
Chowan |
62 |
| T11 |
Belmont Abbey |
62 |
| 13 |
Shorter |
52 |
| 14 |
Erskine |
39 |
| 15 |
Southern Wesleyan |
22 |
2024 Conference Carolinas Women's Volleyball
Players to Watch
Barton
- Henly Sleight, Sr., OH, Jackson, Michigan
Lilly Meyer, Sr., DS, Greencastle, Indiana
Lauryn Pitt, Sr., OH/DS, Greenville, North Carolina
Belmont Abbey
- Tyler Case, So., Etowah, North Carolina
- Lola Sultenfuss, So., Hendersonville, North Carolina
- Bailey Teter, Sr., Wilmington, North Carolina
Chowan
- Diana Rodriguez, Jr., L, Tijuana, Mexico (Conference Carolina Freshman of the Year, 2022 All-Conference Carolinas second team)
- Madison Kilgore, Fr., OH, Portland, Texas
Converse
- Tori Barr, Sr., MB, Ninety Six, South Carolina
- Mackenzie Day, Sr., L, Columbia, South Carolina
- Ariel Bryant, So., OH, Fort Mill, South Carolina
Emmanuel
- Alaina Emminger, Sr, OH, Tyrone, Georgia (AVCA honorable mention All-America)
- Jocelyn Martin, Sr, OH, Easley, South Carolina (AVCA honorable mention All America)
- Ellie Jackson, r-So., OH, Jacksonville, Florida
Erskine
- Sally Spangler, Sr,, MB, Knoxville, Tennessee
- Ryleigh Taylor, Sr., OH, Pendleton, South Carolina
- Ailena Mykins, Sr., S, Harmony, North Carolina
Francis Marion
- Caroline Lucas, Jr., MB, Easley, South Carolina (2023 All-Conference carolinas selection)
- Kara Walker, Sr., OH, Fayetteville, North Carolina (2023 All-Conference Carolinas selection)
- Katie Floyd, Jr., L/DS, Campbellsville, Kentucky
King
- Riley Nelson, Jr., MB, Bluff City, Tennessee
- Gracia Love, Jr., OH, Greenback, Tennessee
Lees-McRae
- Destiny Holley, r-Sr., MH, Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Sydney Stigler, Jr., OH, Cincinnati, Ohio (2023 All-Conference Carolinas second team, 2022 All-Conference Carolinas third team)
- Rebecca Ryan, Jr., MH, Matthews, North Carolina
Mount Olive
- Ashlyn Stone, Sr., OH/RS, Rougemont, North Carolina (2023 All-Conference Carolinas second team, 2022 Conference Carolinas All-Tournament Team)
- Karoline Cox, Sr., MB/RS, Roxboro, North Carolina (2023 All-Conference Carolinas first team)
- Olivia Melvin, Fr., OH, Fayetteville, North Carolina
North Greenville
- Anna Fiddelke, So., MB, Piedmont, South Carolina (Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year, All-Conference Carolinas first team)
- Elena Dyer, So., OH, Windsor, California (All-Conference Carolinas third team)
- Samantha Ball, So., OH, Saint Paul, Minnesota
UNC Pembroke
- Abby Peduzzi, So., OH, HIlton Head, South Carolina
- Ruby Countryman, Sr., MH/RS, Indianapolis, Indiana (2023 third team All-Conference Carolinas)
- Katelynn Swain, So., RS/MH, Hope Mills, North Carolina
Shorter
- Audrey Brooks, Jr., MB, Kennesaw, Georgia (2023-24 Region XIV All-Academic Team)
- Caroline Sivills, So., RS, Paducah, Kentucky (2023 GSC Honor Roll)
- Marysa Ocampo, Sr., S, Socorro, New Mexico (2023 GSC Honor Roll)
Southern Wesleyan
- Karson Haley, Fr., RS/S, Piedmont, South Carolina
- Ainsley Stovall, Fr., OH, Freeport, Illinois
- Megan Gilliland, So., RS/MB, Casstown, Ohio
Young Harris
- Joha Bernis, Sr., L, Auburn, Georgia, (2023 All-Conference Carolinas third team)