Rock Hill, S.C. – The Lenoir-Rhyne Volleyball Team was voted to finish runner-up in the 2016 South Atlantic Conference Preseason Head Coaches Poll, league officials announced today.
Wingate, with nine first-place votes and 119 total points, was picked to win its 12th straight league championship. The Bulldogs finished 28-5 last year including a 20-2 mark in South Atlantic Conference play.
Lenoir-Rhyne (25-8, 18-4) is coming off one of its best seasons in school history in 2015. The Bears captured their first-ever SAC Tournament Championship and advanced all the way to the regional finals for the first time ever.
LR, which won 13 straight matches at one point last fall, received three first-place votes and 111 total points.
Lenoir-Rhyne junior outside hitter Brooke Redmond (Statesville, N.C.) and junior middle blocker Emily Steele (Greenville, N.C.) both earned preseason all-league accolades.
Redmond was a First-Team All-SAC and All-Southeast Region pick last year after leading the squad with 401 kills to go along with 356 digs and 60 blocks. Redmond was the MVP of the 2015 South Atlantic Conference Championship and was an NCAA Division II Southeast Region All-Tournament honoree.
Steele led the Bears in blocks with 114 last year in addition to 178 kills, 88 digs and 21 service aces.
Lenoir-Rhyne opens the 2016 season on Friday, September 2, against Augusta University (12:45 p.m.) and Francis Marion (5:15 p.m.) at the Queens Invitational in Charlotte, N.C.
2016 All-South Atlantic Conference
Volleyball Preseason Teams
1. Wingate (9) 119
2. Lenoir-Rhyne (3) 111
3. Lincoln Memorial 94
4. Carson-Newman 81
5. Tusculum 73
6. Catawba 69
7. Queens 65
8. Anderson 56
9. Newberry 46
10. Mars Hill 33
11. Brevard 30
12. Coker 15
2016 All-South Atlantic Conference
Volleyball Preseason Teams
FIRST TEAM
Anna Patton, Carson-Newman
Abby Saehler, Wingate
Brooke Redmond, Lenoir-Rhyne
Serena Jackson, Anderson
Rachel Garnett, Tusculum
Kiera Holland, Lincoln Memorial
Meredith Jones, Queens
Melissa Mazur, Tusculum
SECOND TEAM
Natalie Harris, Carson-Newman
Marissa Mitter, Anderson
Bri Howard, Catawba
Oakley Attaway, Wingate
Logan Hayward, Newberry
Emily Steele, Lenoir-Rhyne
Kori Adams, Wingate
Kimberly Hovey, Wingate
