AUSTIN, Texas — St. Edward's volleyball was selected to finish 11th in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll, voted on by the league's head coaches, sports information directors and selected media members.
Defending conference champion Angelo State was selected as the preseason favorite after receiving 41 of 54 first-place votes. St. Edward's received 463 points in the 18-team poll.
The Hilltoppers are coming off an 11-11 season, including an 8-9 conference record. St. Edward's improved its LSC win total by six during head coach Jeremy Garcia's first season leading the program.
Garcia enters his second season with a roster featuring senior outside hitter
KELLI FORDING, St. Edward's Offensive Player to Watch; junior libero
GISELLE OJEDA, the Hilltoppers' Defensive Player to Watch; and junior
ALTHEA MORRIS, St. Edward's Setter to Watch.
Fording earned All-LSC Second Team honors last season after leading the Hilltoppers with 256 kills and 302 points. She averaged 3.32 kills and 3.92 points per set while adding 64 digs, 32 service aces and 23 blocks. Fording elevated her production during conference play, averaging 3.59 kills and 4.15 points per set.
Morris received All-LSC Honorable Mention recognition after finishing the season with 809 assists, averaging 9.75 per set. She also contributed 178 digs, 33 service aces and 18 blocks. Morris averaged 10.36 assists and 2.30 digs per set in conference play.
Ojeda appeared in all 22 matches and played each of the Hilltoppers' 83 sets last season. She led St. Edward's with 376 digs, averaging 4.53 per set, while recording a .985 reception percentage and adding 68 assists and 21 service aces.
Angelo State outside hitter Madi Parrish was named the LSC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. The conference also selected Texas Woman's libero Alyssa Rojo as its Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and Lubbock Christian's Camdyn Sears as the Preseason Setter of the Year.
The top nine teams in the final conference standings will advance to the LSC Volleyball Championship, scheduled for Nov. 11-14 at the site of the conference's No. 1 seed.
St. Edward's opens the season against Missouri Western on Friday, Aug. 28, at the Bahama House Classic in Daytona Beach, Florida. The Hilltoppers begin conference play at home against UT Permian Basin on Friday, Sept. 18.
All LSC volleyball conference and tournament matches can be viewed on FloCollege.
