DECATUR—Agnes Scott Women's Volleyball was slated seventh in the 2018 USA South West Division Preseason Poll on Thursday. The Scotties finished sixth in the division last fall, earning their first playoff bid since joining the USA South. The results of the poll were voted on by the conference's coaches.
New faces will seemingly outnumber familiar ones when the Scottie report for preseason practices in few days.
Head coach Anna Braun had a busy offseason after a bizarrely eventful 2017 campaign. Braun was thrust into the head coaching position just days before the season opener last fall and served as the interim head coach until her official appointment in early February.
That did not stop the first-time collegiate head coach from wrangling in six new players to replace one of the larger volleyball class departures in recent memory.
A roster that is dominated with first-years and sophomores will be asked to replace the production of four starters, including All-West Division performer Resa Knott. Starters Paige Heck (Indianapolis, Ind.), Bella Kammerer (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) and Tiara White (Sinton, Texas), as well as key outside Morgan Pearson (Pensacola, Fla.) all return to provide stability to the lineup, but those same returners may be tasked with new roles compared to last season.
Even with a youthful lineup, Agnes Scott will be looking at replicating, and even building off of, a postseason appearance in 2017. Two weeks of preseason will give the Scotties a little bit of time to gel on and off the court, but tests will come early with a pair of trips to tournaments in North Carolina and Alabama to kick off the season.
Games to Watch:
- August 31: All eyes will be on the Scotties as they head to Greensboro for a three-match tournament to start the year.
- September 4: Agnes Scott tips off at the Woodruff Athletic Center for the first time in 2018 with revenge on the mind. The Scotties lost a pair of tight matches against independent opponent Toccoa Falls a year ago.
- October 6 & 27: To climb up the standings, Agnes Scott will need to hop LaGrange College. The Scotties beat the Panthers in Decatur last season in non-conference play, but dropped both matches when it counted to get locked into the sixth seed in the West.
Preseason Poll Results:
1. Covenant (7) – 49
2. Maryville (1) – 40
t3. Brevard* – 34
t3. Piedmont – 34
5. Huntingdon – 25
6. LaGrange – 19
7. Agnes Scott – 14
8. Berea – 9
(First-place votes)
*Ineligible for USA South tournament due to reclassifying
Coach's Outlook: "I am extremely excited about the months ahead! We have a very engaged returning squad who is committed to leading our large group of first-years coming in. This season, I look forward to the relationships that will be built while competing together as one unit." - Coach Braun
Next Game: August 31, 2018, at Greensboro College, 7 p.m.
Links: