2016 Preseason All-OVC Volleyball |
2016 Panther Volleyball Schedule
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – With the 2016 volleyball campaign just a week into preseason workouts, the Ohio Valley Conference has released their preseason All-OVC Team and predicted order of finish as voted on by the OVC head volleyball coaches and sport information directors.
Allie Hueston (Jr./MH) and
Taylor Smith (So./OH-S) were selected as members of the preseason All-OVC Team for Eastern Illinois. Hueston was named a representative of the 2015 All-OVC Team, with Smith being named to the 2015 All-Newcomer Team.
With Hueston and Smith being named to the preseason team, it marks the fifth consecutive season that as least two Panthers have been selected for the honor.
In 2015, Hueston ended the regular season with the top hitting mark in OVC games as she posted a .386 percentage. She finished second on the team in kills with 299 and a 2.30 kills-per-set average. She was a factor in slowing down opposing offenses at the net, as she led the Panthers with 113 total blocks and averaged 0.87 blocks-per-set. Hueston was the top point earner for the Panthers, totaling 386.5, while adding 82 digs, 26 aces, and three assists to her season statistics.
Smith proved to be an impact player in the Panthers lineup in just her first season in the program. She led the OVC with seven triple-doubles, including four occurring in conference games. She added eight double-doubles to her impressive resume. Smith finished second on the team in assists (634) and digs (331). She added 189 kills and 59 total blocks during the season. Smith finished the conference portion of the 2015 schedule ranked in the top 10 in assists-per-set with an average of 6.58.
In 2015, the Panthers finished the OVC regular season with a 11-5 record which tied Belmont for second best honors. The Panthers entered the OVC Tournament as the No. 3 seed, but were defeated in the first round by Tennessee Tech.
Belmont, who claimed the 2015 OVC Tournament Championship, was voted as the 2016 preseason favorite with 16 first place votes. Murray State finished in a close second, just eight points behind Belmont. Eastern Illinois was voted on to finish fourth, with Tennessee State selected to finish in third. Morehead State, Eastern Kentucky, Tennessee Tech, Southeast Missouri, SIUE, and Jacksonville State rounded out the top 10, with Austin Peay and UT Martin placing at a tie for 11th.
The Panthers will open their 2016 schedule on the road at the Green Bay Tournament on Aug. 26-27.
2016 Preseason All-OVC Volleyball Team
( as Selected by OVC Head Volleyball Coaches and Sports Information Directors)
Scottie Ingram, Murray State* OH Sr. 5-10 Solsberry, Ind.
Arianna Person, Belmont* OH Jr. 5-8 Lenexa, Kan.
Allie Hueston, Eastern Illinois* MH Jr. 6-0 Andeson, Ind.
Chloe Watson, Tennessee State*# OH Sr. 5-10 Kent, Wash.
Nzingha Clarke, Southeast Missouri* MB Jr. 6-1 O'Fallon, Ill.
Meredith Jewell, Morehead State*# OH So. 6-0 Mt. Washington, Ky.
Kristen Besselesen, Murray State* RS R-Sr. 6-3 St. Louis, Mo.
Emma Price, Belmont* S R-Jr. 5-10 Fort Mill, S.C.
Samantha Beltran, Tennessee State S Jr. 5-10 Mississuaga, Ontario
Taylor Smith, Eastern Illinois# OH/S So. 6-0 Mattoon, Ill.
Ellie Lorenz, Murray State L Sr. 5-4 St. Louis, Mo.
Ashley Witt, SIUE OH Jr. 5-11 Lincoln, Neb.
Brie Lewis, Belmont RS/MB Jr. 5-10 Stillwell, Kans.
Kellie Williams, Tennessee Tech OH Jr. 6-0 Charlotte, N.C.
* - All-OVC in 2015
# - All-Newcomer in 2015
2016 OVC Volleyball Predicted Team Order of Finish
(as Selected by OVC Head Volleyball Coaches and Sports Information Directors)
1. Belmont (16 first-place votes) 235
2. Murray State (Six first-place votes) 227
3. Tennessee State 178
4. Eastern Illinois 172
5. Morehead State (Two first-place votes) 159
6. Eastern Kentucky 140
7. Tennessee Tech 126
8. Southeast Missouri 92
9. SIUE 89
10. Jacksonville State 82
t11. Austin Peay 38 t11. UT Martin 38
(*Schools were not allowed to rank their own team. 11 points awarded for a first-place vote, 10 for second, etc.)
