Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Named 2017 Preseason Volleyball Favorites
Southland Conference
FRISCO, Texas – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is picked to lift its third Southland Conference volleyball regular-season championship in as many years, according to a poll from the Southland’s head coaches and sports information directors.
The Islanders received 23 first-place votes in the poll heading into the 2017 season. If Texas A&M-Corpus Christi claims this year’s regular-season championship, the Islanders will be the first team to three-peat as outright champions since 1994-96 when Stephen F. Austin accomplished the feat. The Ladyjacks were co-champions in 2004 before winning back-to-back championships in 2005 and 2006.
The 2016 Southland Player of the Year, Brittany Gilpin, returns to the Islanders coming off a season where she accumulated 408 kills and averaged 3.49 kills per set. Gilpin, a senior from Houston, had 23 kills in the Southland tournament final a season ago to help the Islanders secure consecutive tournament championships. She, senior setter Kristyn Nicholson and junior middle blocker Madison Fitzsimmons were named to the Southland preseason all-conference first team while senior middle blocker Madeleine Doud achieved second team honors.
Stephen F. Austin is tabbed to finish second again coming off a 12-4 conference record in 2016. The Ladyjacks will look to senior libero Lexus Cain and sophomore setter Ann Hollas to lead the team to its seventh-straight Southland tournament. Cain enters the 2017 campaign as a preseason all-conference first team pick following a season that saw her average 5.22 digs a set, ranking first in the Southland and 14th nationally. Hollas, the 2016 Southland Freshman of the Year, is a preseason all-conference second team selection.
Sam Houston State is the only other team next to the Islanders to receive first-place votes in the preseason poll, gathering three. The Bearkats are predicted to take third. In 2016, Sam Houston made a run to the Southland tournament championship as the No. 3 seed. The Bearkats’ senior outside hitters Jordyn Vaughn and Brooke White and junior outside hitter Taylor Cunningham are all preseason all-conference first team automatic selections.
Houston Baptist and Central Arkansas are both expected to make another trip to the Southland tournament, finishing fourth and fifth in the poll, respectively. Abilene Christian – who had an 11-5 Southland record a year ago – seeks its first trip to the Southland tournament after completing its transition to Division I and now being eligible for postseason play. The Wildcats are sixth in the poll.
Northwestern State is projected to finish in seventh place, and UIW in eighth. McNeese is on the outside looking in by just six points.
They are followed by: Lamar, Southeastern Louisiana, Nicholls, New Orleans.
All 13 teams will begin 2017 action on Aug. 25. New Orleans and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will be the first to serve with 10 a.m. matches; The Privateers will host Alcorn State while the Islanders will take on Rice in Dallas.
The preseason poll is voted on by head coaches and SIDs from each Southland volleyball school. Voting for one’s own team is not permitted.
| Pl. Team (First-place votes) |
Total |
| 1. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (23) |
286 |
| 2. Stephen F. Austin |
246 |
| 3. Sam Houston State (3) |
230 |
| 4. Houston Baptist |
219 |
| 5. Central Arkansas |
206 |
| 6. Abilene Christian |
197 |
| 7. Northwestern State |
154 |
| 8. UIW |
124 |
| 9. McNeese |
118 |
| 10. Lamar |
88 |
| 11. Southeastern Louisiana |
75 |
| 12. Nicholls |
50 |
| 13. New Orleans |
35 |