SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Samford volleyball team has been selected first in the preseason poll by the league’s nine coaches. The coaches also selected an eight-person preseason all-conference team that included Samford’s Michaela Reesor, the reigning SoCon Player-of-the-Year.
Samford earned seven of nine first-place votes and a total of 62 points to be selected as the league’s preseason favorite for the second straight season. Last season, the Bulldogs compiled a 23-11 record, including a 12-4 mark in SoCon matches, and finished as runner-up at the 2013 volleyball championship. Samford placed two players on the preseason all-conference squad with 2013 Libero-of-the-Year Chelsi Carter joining Reesor.
Furman was picked second, receiving two first-place votes and a total of 56 points. The Paladins, under SoCon Coach-of-the-Year Michelle Young, recorded a 17-12 overall record and 12-4 tally in the SoCon last season to finish second in the regular season standings. Furman also had two players selected to the preseason all-conference team in 2013 Freshman-of-the-Year Ashton Gregory and junior setter Jo Wilks.
East Tennessee State was selected third with 49 points in its first season back in the league. The Bucs won the regular season title in Atlantic Sun last season and are led by preseason all-conference selection Meredith Hardy, who was named first-team All A-Sun last season.
UNCG (37), Chattanooga (36) and Western Carolina (35) each came within a point of each other to finish fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively. Wofford earned 22 points to finish seventh followed by Mercer (19) in eighth and the Citadel (8) in ninth.
Western Carolina seniors Addy George and Jordan Timmerman and Wofford senior Taylor Baird rounded out the preseason all-conference team. Baird and Timmerman were each named second-team All-SoCon a year ago.
The season gets underway for each of the SoCon schools on August 29 with each competing in non-conference tournaments. The 2014 Southern Conference Volleyball Championship, which will include all nine schools, will be held in Greensboro, N.C. on the campus of UNCG on November 22-24.
2014 Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. Samford (7) 62
2. Furman (2) 56
3. East Tennessee State 49
4. UNCG 37
5. Chattanooga 36
6. Western Carolina 35
7. Wofford 22
8. Mercer 19
9. The Citadel 8
( ) denotes first-place votes
2014 Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team
Name School Position
Michaela Reesor Samford OH
Meredith Hardy ETSU MB
Ashton Gregory Furman MB
Chelsi Carter Samford LIB
Taylor Baird Wofford RS
Jo Wilks Furman S
Jordan Timmerman Western Carolina OH
Addy George Western Carolina MB