BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – The Concord University volleyball team has been placed ninth in the Mountain East Conference preseason coaches' poll, the league office announced Tuesday afternoon.
THE POLL
| Place |
Team (First-Place Votes) |
Total Points |
| 1. |
Wheeling (11) |
120 |
| 2. |
West Liberty |
103 |
| T-3. |
Urbana (1) |
96 |
| T-3. |
Charleston |
96 |
| 5. |
West Virginia State |
78 |
| 6. |
Notre Dame |
69 |
| 7. |
Fairmont State |
68 |
| 8. |
Davis & Elkins |
57 |
| 9. |
Concord |
35 |
| 10. |
West Virginia Wesleyan |
33 |
| 11. |
Frostburg |
23 |
| 12. |
Glenville State |
14 |
2018 REVIEW
CU finished last fall with a mark of 7-25, but 10 of the losses were in either four or five sets. Head coach
Kate Dillon will have to replace three players who recorded 225 or more kills in 2018. Additionally, the Mountain Lions had two players,
Brooke Heck and
Alexi Pranckus, notch 1,000 career kills during their senior seasons last year.
2019 SCHEDULE
Concord heads west to start 2019, way west, to Alaska. CU plays UC San Diego 1:00 p.m. September 6 before playing the host of the UAA Invite, Alaska-Anchorage at 6:00 p.m. The tournament wraps up with the Mountain Lions facing Regis 1:00 p.m. and Biola 9:00 p.m. September 7. All times for tournament are listed as eastern. The Maroon and Gray host the Third Annual Concord Classic September 12-13 at the Carter Center. The first match for CU will be against Ohio Valley 11:00 a.m. on the 12
th. The MEC opener for Concord doesn't come until October 4 when they welcome Davis & Elkins to Athens. In all, the Mountain Lions will play 16 MEC contests including playing Charleston, Davis & Elkins, Glenville State, West Virginia State and West Virginia Wesleyan both home and away.
THE RETURNERS
Of the 17 players on the CU roster, 14 are returners for Dillon in 2019. Senior setter
Jenna Mounts starts the year sixth all-time in assists at Concord and is 154 assists away from 1,500 for her career. Meanwhile, senior defensive specialist
Erin Shannon is approaching 1,500 digs for her time in the Maroon and Gray as she has 1,474 career digs.
Joining Mounts and Shannon in the senior class is outside hitter
Lauren Bethel, who has played in 13 career matches.
As freshmen, right side
Camryn Huber and middle hitter
Sheridan Herron combined for 288 kills last season. The duo is the top two leaders in kills from 2018 returning to this year's roster. Additionally, Huber was the team leader in blocks last season with 100, ranking ninth. Junior right side
Kenzie Coulter tallied 79 kills.
While Mounts led the Mountain Lions with 531 assists last season, setter
Imani Rodgers posted 459 assists as a freshman in 2018—the most for a freshman setter at Concord in Dillon's 10-year tenure.
Junior defensive specialist
Lindsay Maddox has 835 career digs and is 160 digs away from joining the top 10 in program history.
NEWCOMERS
The new faces for the Mountain Lions are outside hitter
Hailey Buchanan (Denver, N.C./East Lincoln HS), middle hitter
Amber Hall (Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS) and outside hitter
Sandy Mills (Shady Spring, W.Va./Shady Spring HS).
During the offseason, Dillon also added Heck as a second assistant on her coaching staff along with assistant coach
Casey Mandeville.
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