ATLANTA – The ASUN Conference announced the 2023 Volleyball Preseason Honors on Friday as voted on by the league's 12 head coaches. FGCU, which is coming off a 26-7 season and its third conference crown, was chosen to defend its title after receiving seven first-place votes and 135 total points.
Lipscomb, a semifinalist in the 2022 ASUN Championship, came in second in the preseason rankings with 123 points and two first-place nods. Another postseason semifinalist, Kennesaw State, also earned two first-place selections and finished with 116 voting points to place third in the poll. Central Arkansas (109), North Florida (98) and EKU (71) rounded out the top-half of the rankings with the Ospreys also claiming a first-place vote.
UNF's Mahalia White, an All-ASUN Second Team selection in 2022, was named the Preseason Player of the Year while teammate Rocio Moro was voted Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Moro enters the fall after securing her third-consective Defensive postseason honor in 2022. After earning an All-Freshman Team distinction last season, Lipscomb's Sophia Hudepohl enters the Bisons' 2023 campaign as the Preseason Setter of the Year.
For the 12th consecutive year, the ASUN took to social media to poll the fans for the conference preseason superlative awards. Queens' Anna Law was named the Fan-Voted Preseason Player of the Year. EKU's Josie Schmitendorf earned the Fan-Voted Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honor while North Alabama's Elif Ozsoy was selected as the Fan-Voted Preseason Setter of the Year.
2023 Preseason Coaches Poll
1. FGCU (7), 135
2. Lipscomb (2), 123
3. Kennesaw State (2), 116
4. Central Arkansas, 109
5. North Florida (1), 98
6. EKU, 71
7. Austin Peay (1), 66
8. Stetson, 63
9. Jacksonville, 60
10. North Alabama, 46
11. Bellarmine, 35
12. Queens, 14
2023 Preseason Volleyball All-ASUN Team
Juliana Lentz, FGCU, Sr., MB
Lily Tessier, FGCU, Gr., S
Manu Johnsen, Kennesaw State, So., OH
Meg Mersman, Lipscomb, Sr., MB
Caroline Stogner, Lipscomb, Sr., OH
Rocio Moro, North Florida, Sr., L/DS
Mahalia White, North Florida, Gr., OH