BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southwestern Athletic Conference announced the 2014 women’s volleyball preseason all-conference teams and poll Wednesday and Alabama State led with five all-conference selections and a player of the year. The Hornet’s senior Amber Bennett (Baton Rouge, La./McKinley) was named offensive player of the year, while Jackson State’s Mikayla Rolle (Burlington, Kent./Cooper) garnered defensive player of the year honors.
Alabama State was also pegged to take the east division in the preseason poll. Texas Southern topped the standings in the west.
Bennett begins the year where she left off. The 2013 offensive player of the year and first-team all-conference selection received numerous weekly honors from the conference including four defensive and four offensive player of the week awards. Rolle was a second year letter winner in 2013. She led the Tigers and league in blocks and earned all-tournament team honors last year.
First Team
Joining Bennett on preseason all-conference first team are fellow Hornets Tiera Kelley (Amarillo, Texas/Vernon College), Myla Marshall (Memphis, Tenn./Houston), and Brooke Beasley (Winfield, Ala./Wallace State-Hanceville CC). Kelly and Marshall were also all-conference selections in 2013. Beasely led Alabama State in assists and was second on the team in service aces. Prairie View A&M’s Candyce Alexander (Bedford, Texas/MSU-West Plains), Texas Southern’s Robyn Shannon (Houston, Texas/Westside), and Courtney Brand from Arkansas-Pine Bluff complete the first team. Both Shannon and Brand were 2013 all-conference selections. Alexander tallied nearly 280 kills last season and 60 total blocks.
Second Team
The preseason All-SWAC second team featured a tie at the libero position. LaKeisha Allen (McAllen, Texas/Nikki Rowe) from Prairie View and Vanessa Ortega (Oddessa, Texas/Odessa College) of Alcorn each contributed heavily in their team’s respective defenses in 2013. Jackson State’s Jenna Siddiqui (Rancho Cucamongo, Calif./Los Osos) was named setter after recording 732 assists and nearly 30 service aces. On the front line, Rolle along and Kali Fluke (San Antonio, Texas/Wagner) from Texas Southern earned their places at the middle blocker position. Fluke was named freshman of the year in 2013 and helped lead Texas Southern to a west division title. Mona Reed (Stafford, Texas) from Texas Southern rounds out the hitters with Alabama State’s Rachel Smith (Riverside, Calif./Martin Luther King) and Ashlie Jones (Plano, Ill./Kentucky State) from Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Predicted Order of Finish
Alabama State earned 69 points to lead the preseason poll. The battle for the number two spot in the east was decided by just three points as Alabama A&M (50) squeaked out Jackson State’s 47 points. In the west, Texas Southern collected 62 points to earn the top spot. Second place Prairie View A&M picked up 50 points and Southern finished third with 43 points.
Below are the full teams and poll.
2014 SWAC VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON AWARDS
Offensive Player of the Year
Amber Bennet, Alabama State
Defensive Player of the Year
Mikayla Rolle, Jackson State
Preseason First-Team All-SWAC
OH Candyce Alexander, Prairie View A&M
OH Tiera Kelley, Alabama State
OH Robyn Shannon, Texas Southern
MB Amber Bennett, Alabama State
MB Myla Marshall, Alabama State
L Courtney Brand, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
S Brooke Beasley, Alabama State
Preseason Second-Team All-SWAC
OH Rachel Smith, Alabama State
OH Ashlie Jones, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
OH Mona Reed, Texas Southern
MB Mikayla Rolle, Jackson State
MB Kali Fluke, Texas Southern
L LaKeisha Allen, Prairie View A&M
L Vanessa Ortega, Alcorn State
S, Jenna Siddiqui, Jackson State
Predicted Order of Finish, Votes
East Division
Alabama State 69
Alabama A&M 50
Jackson State 47
Mississippi Valley State 25
Alcorn State 19
West Division
Texas Southern 62
Prairie View A&M 50
Southern 43
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 38
Grambling 17
Courtesy: SWAC.org