Rock Hill, S.C.----For the 17th consecutive season, the Wingate University Bulldogs are the favorites in the preseason South Atlantic Conference volleyball poll, which was released Monday morning. The preseason poll is voted on by the league's 13 head coaches. In addition, three Bulldogs have earned preseason all-conference honors. Shannon Kasprak is a first team honoree, Maggie Young earns second team accolades, while Molly Lambillotte picks up third team recognition.

Wingate is the preseason favorite, earning six of the 13 first-place votes. Tusculum is second, earning three first-place votes, with Anderson checking in at number three with two first-place votes. Lenoir-Rhyne is fourth, while also earning a pair of first-place votes. Carson-Newman, Mars Hill, Newberry and Limestone round out the top eight, followed by Catawba, Lincoln Memorial, Coker, UVA Wise and Emory & Henry.

Winners of 27 total SAC titles since 2006, the 'Dogs went 24-5 overall in 2021, with a 15-3 record in league play to earn a share of the regular season SAC championship. Wingate has won 15 of the last 16 regular season SAC titles while adding 12 tournament championships in that span. The 'Dogs also have a region-best five NCAA Southeast Region championships, earning five trips to the NCAA National Quarterfinals. The Bulldogs are 442-44 overall since the start of the 2007 season, going 261-17 in league play. Wingate has ranked in the top 10 nationally in winning percentage every year since 2007.

Kasprak has earned first team All-SAC accolades each of the last two years, being named the SAC Player of the Year and SAC Tourney MVP in the 2021 spring season. The graduate student handed out 10.03 assists per set, adding 3.35 digs, 0.98 kills and 0.47 blocks per set while also leading the team with 44 aces. Kasprak piled up 18 double-doubles and a triple double on the year. She also picked up All-Region honors from the AVCA and D2CCA, while earning honorable mention All-American accolades from the AVCA.

Young earned second team All-SAC accolades last season. The senior collected 2.12 kills and 0.95 blocks per set, while leading the conference with a .356 hitting percentage. The two-time SAC Defensive Player of the Week honoree in 2021, Young finished seventh in the SAC in blocks per set. Young had double-digit kills in nine matches last season, hitting .375 or better in eight of those.

Lambillotte earns preseason all-conference accolades for the first time in her career. The graduate student finished third on the team with 222 kills last season, averaging 2.20 kills per set while also registering 2.97 digs and 0.50 blocks per set, adding 20 aces. Lambillotte earned SAC Player of the Week honors the final week of the regular season. She had double-digit kills seven times last season, notching five straight double-doubles to wrap up the regular season, highlighted by a 20-kill, 15-dig effort in the 3-1 win over Mars Hill.

The Bulldogs open the 2022 season August 26 in Charlotte at the Queens Fall Classic. Wingate takes on Mount Olive and Lee on Friday, then faces defending national champion Tampa Saturday at noon before wrapping up the weekend against Concord. The Bulldogs will host Tampa Thursday at 4 p.m. in an exhibition match in Cuddy Arena.


2022 SAC Volleyball Preseason Poll
 

Rank	School (First-place votes)	Points
1	Wingate (6)	136
2	Tusculum (3)	127
3	Anderson (2)	125
4	Lenoir-Rhyne (2)	111
5	Carson-Newman	106
6	Mars Hill	81
7	Newberry	70
8	Limestone	69
9	Catawba	68
10	Lincoln Memorial	48
11	Coker	35
12	UVA Wise	21
13	Emory & Henry	17

 

 

2022 SAC Volleyball Preseason All-Conference

First Team
Emiah Burrowes, Tusculum
Shannon Kasprak, Wingate
Julia Wheeler, Carson-Newman
Sarah Goddard, Mars Hill
Madison Roy, Anderson
Noelle Knutsen, Anderson
Carly Sosnowski, Tusculum (L)

Second Team
Jana Cuk, Mars Hill
Maggie Young, Wingate
Carli Pigza, Tusculum
Jaelyn Grimm, Anderson
Elise Carmichael, Tusculum
Colette Romp, Lenoir-Rhyne

Third Team
Molly Lambillotte, Wingate
Sadie Kluner, Anderson
Carley Williams, Emory & Henry
Emma Clark, Lenoir-Rhyne
Abbey Hildenbrand, Carson-Newman
Jordan Schmucker, Mars Hill