Wingate Tops SAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Six-time defending SAC volleyball champion Wingate has been picked by the league's coaches to win the league title again in 2012, it was announced on Monday.

The Bulldogs -- who enter 2012 with an 82-match SAC winning streak and a 50-match regular season winning streak intact – went 32-1 last season, won the Food Lion SAC Tournament title, and advanced to the NCAA Division II Volleyball Championship regional final.

Wingate had three student-athletes selected to the preseason All-SAC Team, which tied for the most in the conference. WU's two first-team picks – Anna Hilton and Cory McGowan – were also first-team All-SAC selections in 2011.

Catawba was picked No. 2 in the preseason poll, following a 2011 season in which it went 22-7 overall and earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Indians – runners up at last year's SAC Volleyball Championship -- also had three players selected to the preseason All-SAC Team, including first-teamers Jordan Raye and Kaitlyn Whitmer.

Both student-athletes were All-SAC First Team picks in 2011 as well.

Lincoln Memorial, another 2011 NCAA Volleyball Championship selection, was voted No. 3 in the 2012 preseason poll. LMU will be led once again by preseason All-SAC First Team selection Blaire Fowler, who was also a first-team pick last year after the Railsplitters went 22-7 overall and 14-4 in league play.

2011 NCAA Tournament selection Tusculum was picked fourth in the preseason coaches' poll. Three TC players earned spots on the preseason All-SAC Team, led by first-teamers Caitlyn Dean and Sam Underwood.

Lenoir-Rhyne was voted No. 5 in the preseason poll, followed by No. 6 Mars Hill and No. 7 Carson-Newman.

Newberry, which will be led by preseason All-SAC First Team pick Samantha Parrish, was picked No. 8 in the preseason poll. The Wolves earned their first-ever bid to the NCAA Volleyball Championship last season.

Rounding out the preseason coaches' poll was Anderson at No. 9 and Brevard at No. 10.

[Complete Preseason All-SAC Team]