West Florida Tops GSC Volleyball Preseason Poll
PRESEASON ALL-GSC TEAM | TOP NEWCOMERS
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Gulf South Conference volleyball coaches have unanimously selected the defending league champions from West Florida as the conference favorites in the 2018 preseason poll.
West Florida finished off a dominant 2017 with the school’s seventh GSC Championship. The Argos went undefeated in conference play, only going to five sets once in the 16 league games and closing the conference calendar with six straight 3-0 victories.
UWF placed two players, Jordyn Poppen and Logan Kael, on the preseason all-conference team. Poppen was a First Team All-GSC selection in 2017, and Kael was the GSC Co-Freshman of the Year.
Alabama Huntsville is second in the poll. The Chargers went 11-5 in league play in 2017, marking the first time that UAH put together 11 conference victories since 2002. First Team All-GSC performer Haley Hop returns to the court for the Chargers. Hop led the league in digs last season.
The Lee Lady Flames are third in the poll. In 2017, Lee won the first GSC Championship contest in program history, and the Lady Flames brings back a pair of all-conference performers from that squad. Silvia Sartori is a three-time all-conference selection, while MaKayla Beebe has been named All-GSC twice.
West Alabama is fourth in the poll, and the Tigers placed two on the Preseason All-GSC Team. Setter Kassie Till was the GSC Co-Freshman of the Year with Kael, while Taylor Donato was sixth in the league in hitting percentage.
Montevallo rounds out the top five. The Falcons lost a key piece with the graduation of Kristy Bohan, but return the four players after Bohan who appeared in the most sets in 2017. Amanda Nugent was second on the team in kills last year and was named Preseason All-GSC.
The complete Preseason All-GSC Team, as well as a list of top newcomers for each squad, can be found at the top of the page, while the complete preseason poll can be found below.
2018 VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON POLL
| School |
Total Points |
| 1. West Florida (11) |
121 |
| 2. Alabama Huntsville (1) |
107 |
| 3. Lee |
97 |
| 4. West Alabama |
86 |
| 5. Montevallo |
74 |
| 6. Shorter |
68 |
| 7. Christian Brothers |
59 |
| 8. Valdosta State |
56 |
| 9. Union |
48 |
| 10. West Georgia |
37 |
| 11. Mississippi College |
23 |
| 12. Auburn Montgomery |
16 |
NOTES: The head coaches voted in this poll. Teams received 11 points for a first place vote, 10 for a second place vote, etc. The head coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams. Number of first place votes in parenthesis.