RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – On Thursday, the Great American Conference announced the results of its 2023 volleyball preseason coaches’ poll. Harding collected nine of the 12 first-place votes from the league’s head coaches to enter the season as the favorite.
Last season, the Lady Bisons collected their fifth regular-season title as they went 16-0 in league play as part of a 30-2 campaign. They won 19 of their matches in straight sets. They return the reigning Player of the Year and Setter of the Year in Kelli McKinnon and Sarah Morehead. McKinnon led the conference with a .335 attack percentage. She ranked third in points per set. Morehead led the conference in assists per set. Harding returns a pair of additional All-GAC honorees in Logan Smith and Emma Winiger.
Oklahoma Baptist received a pair of first place votes to finish second in the poll. Like Harding, the Bison feature four returning All-GAC selections - Maci Langford, D’Erricka Frierson, Avery Hellmuth and Jill Leslie. Langford won the league’s Defensive Player of the Year after averaging a league-leading 5.62 digs per set. Frierson ranked eighth in kills per to join Langford on the First Team.
Southwestern Oklahoma State placed third, a mere four points behind Oklahoma Baptist. Three Bulldogs that earned All-GAC honors as sophomores return for their junior season in Lacy Mott, Zoey Sparks and Samantha Kuzma. Mott made the First Team after ranking in the top five in both kills and points per set. Sparks finished 2022 as the lone GAC player to average more than 1.0 blocks per set.
Ouachita Baptist claimed the final first-place vote and took fourth in the poll, followed by Southern Nazarene. Headlined by Riley Braziel, the Tigers placed three freshmen on All-GAC teams. Braziel, the Freshman of the Year, ranked in the top 10 in both kills and points per set. Courtney Hanson finished the season as one of three GAC setters to average at least 10.0 assists per set. Emily Adams hit .308 from her right side position.
The Crimson Storm bring back their three 2022 All-GAC performers in Sunny Batschelett, Whitney Bowie and Kaley Brubaker. Batschelett, a First-Team honoree, ranked sixth in both kills and points per set. Brubaker led in total assists and Bowie hit .305.
Arkansas Tech edged out East Central, Northwestern Oklahoma State and Henderson State for sixth place. The Golden Suns return their leading attacker in Maddi Siedenburg. ECU welcomes back former Tiger Danielle Essix as the program’s new head coach. The former All-GAC performer inherits a 2022 First-Team selection in Emma Strickland. Strickland placed second in the league in both kills and points per set. The Rangers, following a run to the final of the 2022 GAC Championships, return Cameron Lobb who ranked fourth in both assists and aces. The Reddies eagerly anticipate the return of Violeta Mendoza Quintana. The former First-Team All-GAC pick in and Spring 2021 Newcomer of the Year missed all of 2022 due to injury.
Southern Arkansas, Southeastern Oklahoma State and Arkansas-Monticello rounded out the poll. The Muleriders bring back a pair of All-GAC selections in Landry Rogers and Morgan Schuster while the Savage Storm returns D’Nari Mills.
The regular season opens on Labor Day weekend with all 12 schools competing in non-conference tournaments. For 2023, the GAC Volleyball Championships return to the Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The eight-team event takes place from Thursday, November 16 through Saturday, November 18.
On Wednesday, August 16, the GAC will conduct its annual virtual media day. Hear from the league’s 12 head coaches and selected student athletes at
GACSportsNetwork.com.