Carson-Newman picked third in SAC preseason volleyball poll
Aug. 18, 2008
ROCK HILL, SC – The Carson-Newman volleyball team, which advanced to the championship game of the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament last season, was picked third in the conference’s preseason poll, released Monday. The Lady Eagles received 59 votes.
Defending two-time SAC champion Wingate received eight first place votes and 80 of the possible 81 total votes to hold down the top spot in the poll. Catawba was ranked second with 66 votes.
Carson-Newman had just one player named to the preseason All-SAC team. Senior Kelsey Fleck was a second team selection. An All-Tournament selection a year ago, Fleck led the team in three statistical categories in 2007, including .hitting percentage (.296%), kills per game (3.06), and total kills (364).
Carson-Newman will play in an exhibition match on the road at Cleveland on August 26. The Lady Eagles will open the regular season three days later when they host a Labor Day weekened tournament. The Food Lion SAC Tournament will be held at Mars Hill College. Quarterfinals will be Thursday, November 13, with semifinals on Friday, November 14, and the finals on Saturday, November 15. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid into the NCAA Division II Tournament.
2008 SAC PRESEASON VOLLEYBALL POLL
Wingate (8) 80
Catawba 66
Carson-Newman 59
Tusculum 50
Lenoir-Rhyne 43
Lincoln Memorial 39
Newberry (1) 36
Mars Hill 20
Brevard 12
(First place votes in parenthesis)
2008 SAC PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
FIRST TEAM
Melissa Griffith, Senior, Catawba College
Melissa Powers, Senior, Catawba College
Katie Novacek, Senior, Lenoir-Rhyne University
Alicia MacIntyre, Junior, Lincoln Memorial University (Libero)
Priscila Sales, Senior, Newberry College
Rebecca Bloemer, Sophomore, Wingate University
Stormi Gale, Sophomore, Wingate University
Kathryn Reddick, Senior, Wingate University
SECOND TEAM
Brooke Seaman, Junior, Brevard College
Kelsey Fleck, Senior, Carson-Newman CollegeAbby Smith, Senior, Lenoir-Rhyne University
Amanda Horenkamp, Junior, Lincoln Memorial University
Kelsey Hayden, Senior, Tusculum College
Katie Luebke, Sophomore, Tusculum College
Heather MacArthur, Senior, Tusculum College
Chelsea Cancelliere, Junior, Wingate University (Libero)
