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SEC Staff
Photo: SEC Staff
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (July 11, 2022) – Kentucky, the defending SEC Champion, was selected as the preseason favorite for the 2022 SEC volleyball season, according to the SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
The Wildcats, who finished 25-5 overall and 17-1 in conference play last season, garnered 10 of the 13 first-place votes and 142 points in the preseason poll. Florida received two first-place votes and 132 points to finish second in the poll.
Tennessee placed third with 118 points and a first-place vote, while Arkansas claimed fourth place with 105 points. Mississippi State placed fifth with 103 points, and South Carolina took sixth with 75 points. Ole Miss received 70 points for seventh place, followed by LSU in eighth place with 66. Georgia (63) took ninth place, followed by Texas A&M (62), Missouri (31), Auburn (30) and Alabama (17) to round out the poll.
Fifteen student-athletes were selected to the 2022 Preseason Volleyball All-SEC Team. The squad includes Arkansas’ Jillian Gillen; Florida’s Merritt Beason and Bre Kelly; Kentucky’s Eleanor Beavin, Emma Grome, Reagan Rutherford and Azhani Tealer; LSU’s Anita Anwusi; Ole Miss’ Sasha Ratliff; Mississippi State’s Gabby Waden; Missouri’s Anna Dixon; South Carolina’s Jenna Hampton; and Tennessee’s Morgahn Fingall, Natalie Hayward and Danielle Mahaffey.
The 2022 SEC volleyball season will begin on Friday, August 26, and conference play is set to start on Wednesday, September 21.
Preseason Coaches’ Poll
(First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
| Place | School | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kentucky (10) | 142 |
| 2. | Florida (2) | 132 |
| 3. | Tennessee (1) | 118 |
| 4. | Arkansas | 105 |
| 5. | Mississippi State | 103 |
| 6. | South Carolina | 75 |
| 7. | Ole Miss | 70 |
| 8. | LSU | 66 |
| 9. | Georgia | 63 |
| 10. | Texas A&M | 62 |
| 11. | Missouri | 31 |
| 12. | Auburn | 30 |
| 13. | Alabama | 17 |
Volleyball Preseason All-SEC Team
| Name, School | Pos. | Yr. | Ht. | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jillian Gillen, Arkansas | OH | Sr. | 5-7 | Stilwell, Kan. |
| Merritt Beason, Florida | RS/OH | So. | 6-3 | Gardendale, Ala. |
| Bre Kelley, Florida | MB | So. | 6-4 | Rockwall, Texas |
| Eleanor Beavin, Kentucky | L | So. | 5-5 | Louisville, Ky. |
| Emma Grome, Kentucky | S | So. | 5-9 | Loveland, Ohio |
| Reagan Rutherford, Kentucky | OPP | Jr. | 6-0 | Missouri City, Texas |
| Azhani Tealer, Kentucky | MB | Sr. | 5-10 | Grand Prairie, Texas |
| Anita Anwusi, LSU | MB | Sr. | 6-3 | Houston, Texas |
| Sasha Ratliff, Ole Miss | MB | Jr. | 6-2 | Atlanta, Ga. |
| Gabby Waden, Mississippi State | MB/RS | Gr. | 5-10 | Columbia, S.C. |
| Anna Dixon, Missouri | OH | Sr. | 6-3 | Louisburg, Kan. |
| Jenna Hampton, South Carolina | DS/L | Gr. | 5-7 | Tampa, Fla. |
| Morgahn Fingall, Tennessee | RS | Sr. | 6-1 | Fairfax, Va. |
| Natalie Hayward, Tennessee | S | Sr. | 5-11 | Bothell, Wash. |
| Danielle Mahaffey, Tennessee | MB | Gr. | 6-1 | Cincinnati, Ohio |
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