ATLANTA – The Atlantic Sun Conference announced its 2024 Volleyball preseason awards on Wednesday as voted on by the league's 12 head coaches. Lipscomb, which is coming off a 14-2 conference record in 2023, is favored to capture this year's league crown after receiving six first-place votes and 137 points.
The Bisons went 21-8 overall last season and reached the ASUN Championship Final for the 11th time in program history. Reigning ASUN Champion FGCU came up one point shy of Lipscomb in the preseason rankings with 136 and garneres five first-place nods. The Eagles captured their third title in a row last fall with a sweep of the Bisons inside Alico Arena. EKU sits third in the preseason rankings with 119 points, followed by North Alabama in fourth. North Florida secured the final first-place vote and fifth place in the poll with Stetson rounding out the top half in sixth.
Lipscomb's Meg Mersman was tabbed the Preseason Player of the Year after closing out the 2023 season with the postseason honor of the same name. A two time All-ASUN selection, she ranked third in the ASUN for hitting percentage last season (.345) and was ffith in total blocks (107) and kills (343). Sophia Hudepohl joined her Bisons' teammate with a superlative honor as she was named Preseason Setter of the Year. Hudepohl led the ASUN and was top in NCAA Division I last season in assists (1,243) and assists per set (10.62) and earned the 2023 Setter of the Year distinction. EKU's Josie Schmitendorf averaged 4.80 digs per set last season and was selected as Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. She ranked second in the league and 35th in the nation with digs average and tallied 20 or more digs in a match 10 times in 2023.
2024 Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Lipscomb (6) 137
2. FGCU (5) 136
3. EKU 119
4. North Alabama 102
5. North Florida (1) 99
6. Stetson 75
7. Bellarmine 73
8. Central Arkansas 59
9. Jacksonville 50
10. Austin Peay 46
11. Queens 23
12. West Georgia 17
First-place votes in parentheses
2024 Volleyball Preseason All-ASUN Team
Sarah Mitchell, EKU
Josie Schmitendorf, EKU
Ella Chapman, FGCU
Skylar English, FGCU
Jada DiVita, Lipscomb
Meg Mersman, Lipscomb^
Sophia Hudepohl, Lipscomb
Kailey McKnight, North Florida
^ - denotes a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-ASUN Team
Note - a tie in voting resulted in an eight-person Preseason All-ASUN Team