PROVIDENCE, R.I. – SMU was picked as the preseason favorite in the 2014 American Athletic Conference preseason volleyball poll, as voted on by the conference’s 11 head coaches. UCF and Tulane, who each received one first-place vote, ranked second and third. USF’s Erin Fairs, the reigning conference Player of the Year, earned preseason Player of the Year honors.
 
SMU earned nine of the 11 first-place votes from The American’s head coaches on its way to being named preseason favorite. The Mustangs went 22-9 in 2013, including a 14-4 mark in The American. SMU returns nine letterwinners from that 2013 squad, including four members of the preseason all-conference team: 2013 Setter of the Year Avery Acker, Cailin Bula, Janelle Giordano and Caroline Young, who was a unanimous selection. Young was The American’s Player of the Week four times a year ago.
 
UCF finished second in preseason voting, as Todd Dagenais’ team looks to build on a 21-10 record from 2013. The Knights bring back 10 letterwinners from a year ago, including their entire starting lineup. Unanimous preseason team selection DeLaina Sarden returns for the Knights after recording a .409 hitting percentage in 2013, good for 16^th in the nation. Sarden is joined on the preseason team by fellow Knight Kaye-Alese Green.
 
Tulane, one of three newcomers to The American this year, ranks third in the preseason poll after a 28-4 showing in 2013. The Green Wave advanced to the Conference USA Championship final, and lost only one true road match the entire season. Two Tulane players made their way onto the preseason team, as Annie Shurtz is joined by unanimous selection Tea Juric. The 2013 Tulane squad was fourth in the nation in kills per set.
 
Tulsa also makes the jump to The American this year, and was picked fourth after a 24-7 campaign in C-USA in 2013. The Golden Hurricane posted an RPI of 37 last year, and begin their first year under new head coach Ryan Wills. No team kept the ball off the floor quite like Tulsa in 2013, as the Golden Hurricane led the nation with 18.33 digs per set. Two Tulsa players earned preseason team honors, as a pair of sophomores in Erica Bohannon and Brooke Berryhill were named to the team.
 
USF was picked fifth by the conference’s head coaches, and will be led again this year by Preseason Player of the Year and reigning conference Player of the Year Erin Fairs, who returns for her junior campaign in Tampa. Fairs paced the Bulls with 3.73 kills per set and 4.41 digs per set in 2013. The Bulls posted a 17-win campaign a year ago.
 
UConn took sixth place by one point, as the Huskies will be under the direction of new head coach Kris Grunwald. UConn brings back 11 letterwinners from a year ago, and will be led by a class of five seniors that includes preseason team selection Karson Ratliff.
 
Houston finished seventh in preseason voting, as 500-match winner Kaddie Platt enters her third year at the helm. The Cougars won 18 matches in 2013, doubling their win total from 2012. Houston placed one player on the preseason team, as Kadi Kullerkann earned the honor after garnering second-team all-conference honors in 2013.
 
Memphis returns four of its top five players in kills per set from a year ago, including preseason team selection Lauren Wright. As a junior in 2013, Wright recorded 2.95 kills per set and hit .264. The 2014 Tigers feature six freshmen on the roster.
 
Temple was picked ninth after an 18-12 campaign in 2013. The Owls opened the year 15-4, and will try to extend that hot start to last year throughout the 2014 slate. Temple returns 10 letterwinners to the 2014 squad.

Cincinnati and East Carolina round out the preseason selections. The Bearcats bring in nine new players for the 2014 season, while the Pirates add seven newcomers to a team that improved by 11 wins during Julie Torbett’s first year at the helm.

Place	Team	Points	First-Place Votes
1.	SMU	99	9
2.	UCF	87	1
3.	Tulane	79	1
4.	Tulsa	73
5.	USF	69
6.	UConn	45
7.	Houston	44
8.	Memphis	40
9.	Temple	34
10.	Cincinnati	23
11.	East Carolina	12

Preseason Player of the Year:
Erin Fairs, USF
 
Preseason Team:
Kaye-Alese Green, UCF
DeLaina Sarden, UCF*
Karson Ratliff, UConn
Kadi Kullerkann, Houston
Lauren Wright, Memphis
Erin Fairs, USF*
Avery Acker, SMU
Cailin Bula, SMU
Janelle Giordano, SMU
Caroline Young, SMU*
Tea Juric, Tulane*
Annie Shurtz, Tulane
Brooke Berryhill, Tulsa
Erica Bohannon, Tulsa
(There was a tie for the final spot, which led to 14 players on the team. Unanimous selections denoted with an asterisk)