Lady Eagles Picked Third in SAC Preseason Poll
Aug. 18, 2008
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - 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 (Celina, Ohio) 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 Lee University (Tenn.) on August 26. The Lady Eagles will open the regular season three days later when they host a Labor Day weekend tournament.
The Food Lion SAC Tournament will be held at Mars Hill College. Quarterfinals are 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 | |||
| Abby 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) | |||
Senior Kelsey Fleck and the Lady Eagles are expected to contend for the SAC title.
