PROVIDENCE, R.I. – UCF, the reigning American Athletic Conference champion, was selected as the preseason favorite in the 2015 American Athletic Conference preseason volleyball poll. SMU senior Avery Acker, a 2014 American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American honorable mention selectee, was tabbed as The American Player of the Year.
The Knights received seven first-place votes and accumulated 94 points in the balloting as voted on by the conference’s 11 head coaches. Head coach Todd Dagenais, the 2014 American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, piloted UCF atop the conference standings with an 18-2 mark and a 25-8 overall record. The Knights earned an automatic-bid into the NCAA tournament and fell to the University of Miami in the opening round, 3-2. In 2014 UCF ranked amongst the nation’s leaders in assists per set (5th, 13.63), hitting percentage (5th, .292) and kills per set (7th, 14.40). The Knights return five letter winners and add nine new faces – seven true freshman and two transfers - to the roster this season.
SMU followed in second place, receiving three-first place votes and 91 points. The Mustangs finished tied for second in the conference standings with a 26-6 overall record and a 15-5 conference mark, and return three of their four All-Conference selections from 2014. Temple took third in the poll with 84 points and one first-place vote after finishing tied with SMU in The American standings last season. The Owls return three players who earned All-Conference honors last season, including the American Athletic Conference Setter of the Year Sandra Sydlik.
Tulsa, who produced a 14-6 conference record in its first year as a member of the American Athletic Conference, was picked fourth with 75 points. Cincinnati (56 points) and Memphis (51 points) followed in fifth and sixth place. USF and UConn garnered 48 points and 41 points for seventh and eighth. East Carolina and Tulane each received 22 votes to tie for ninth while Houston (21 points) rounded out the preseason poll in 11th.
Acker concluded the 2014 season ranked nationally in assists per set (4th, 11.68) and total assists (7th, 1413), and established a new American Athletic Conference season standard in both statistical categories. The senior setter earned AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention honors for the second consecutive season and helped guide SMU to a program-best 26 wins. The two-time All-American Athletic Conference selectee tallied a season-high 62 digs against New Mexico on Sept. 20 and eclipsed 50 digs six times in 32 games in 2014.
Twelve student-athletes were selected to the 2015 Preseason All-Conference Team. UCF’s Kia Bright and Jale Hervey, Cincinnati’s Emma Roberson and Tulsa’s Erica Bohannon highlighted the preseason team as unanimous All-Conference selections. Temple led the All-Conference team with four selections while SMU contributed three and UCF with two.
The 2015 season will start on Friday, Aug. 28. Conference play begins on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
2015 American Athletic Conference Volleyball Preseason Honors
Preseason Coaches’ Poll
|
Place |
School |
Points |
1st Place Votes |
|
1. |
UCF |
94 |
7 |
|
2. |
SMU |
91 |
3 |
|
3. |
Temple |
84 |
1 |
|
4. |
Tulsa |
75 |
|
|
5. |
Cincinnati |
56 |
|
|
6. |
Memphis |
51 |
|
|
7. |
USF |
48 |
|
|
8. |
UConn |
41 |
|
|
T-9. |
East Carolina |
22 |
|
|
T-9. |
Tulane |
22 |
|
|
11. |
Houston |
21 |
|
Preseason Player of the Year:
Avery Acker, SMU
Preseason Team:
Kia Bright, UCF*
Jale Hervey, UCF*
Emma Roberson, Cincinnati*
Immanuella Anagu, UConn
Avery Acker, SMU
Janelle Giordano, SMU
Morgan Heise, SMU
Tyler Davis, Temple
Kirsten Overton, Temple
Dara Peric, Temple
Sandra Sydlik, Temple
Erica Bohannon, Tulsa*
[*] Denotes unanimous selection