Concord Slotted Third in MEC South Division

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – The Concord University volleyball team was picked to finish third in the Mountain East Conference South Division per the 2024 MEC Preseason Coaches Poll, the conference office announced Wednesday afternoon.
 
THE POLL
 

Place	Team (First-Place Votes)	Points
1.	West Virginia State (6)	56
2.	Charleston (5)	55
3.	Concord	41
4.	Glenville State	30
5.	West Virginia Wesleyan	27
6.	Davis & Elkins	16

 
MEC North Poll - Wheeling (10) 50, Fairmont State (1) 36, West Liberty 36, Frostburg State 23, Point Park 15
 
2023 REVIEW
CU won 16 games last fall, the most since its 2016 campaign and finished 16-15 overall. The Mountain Lions also won six MEC Conference matchups, the most since 2017. CU began its season with a pair of four-game win streaks, jumping to a 10-3 start. After winning four of its first six conference games, the Maroon and Gray finished third in the MEC South Division and earned its first conference tournament bid since 2017.
 
2024 SCHEDULE
The Mountain Lions begin the season in Golden, Colo. for the Oredigger Volleyball Classic hosted by Colorado Mines September 6-7 before heading to Mount Olive, N.C. for the Mount Olive Invite September 13-14. CU opens up its home slate in the Carter Center by hosting the Concord Classic September 20-21. Concord's first MEC meeting of the season comes on the road at Frostburg State September 27. Charleston visits the Carter Center October 4 for the first MEC home meeting of the fall. Defending MEC Tournament Champion Wheeling hosts the Mountain Lions on October 25 and CU rounds out its regular season with a home game against Glenville State November 15.
 
THE RETURNERS
Sophomore outside hitter Meg Williams headlines the returners heading into 2024. Williams, an All-MEC Second Team selection in 2023, starts her sophomore campaign after a record-breaking freshman season. Her 401 kills last year marked the third most in a single season in school history, good for second in the MEC. Sophomore outside hitter Chloe Thompson was second on the team with 327 kills and a .213 hitting percentage. Senior middle hitter Kyndra Pilant added 223 kills on a .237 hitting percentage as well as a team-best 99 blocks (12 solo, 87 assisted). The Mountain Lions return a pair of sophomore setters in Paige Richmond and Declyn Tooze. Richmond totaled 602 assists and 63 aces while Tooze had 469 assists and 44 aces. Sophomore defensive specialist Allie Davis ranked fourth in the MEC a season ago with 4.45 digs per set (498 total), as well as providing 68 assists and 14 aces. Sophomore right side Natalie Brown played in all 31 contests last fall, smashing 154 kills and adding 45 blocks on the defensive end. Senior right side Reese Turner appeared in 23 matches last fall, contributing 28 blocks defensively. Sophomore middle hitters Meagan Poticher and Jasmine Anderson round out the returners having appeared in 20 and 14 contests last fall, respectively.
 
THE NEWCOMERS
Entering her 16^th year at the helm of the CU volleyball program, head coach Kate Dillon added nine incoming freshmen to the roster for 2024. These newcomers include defensive specialist Gretchen Davila (Williamsburg Va./Bruton) and her twin sister setter Savannah Davila (Williamsburg, Va./Bruton), setter Emma Johnson (Princeton, W.Va./Princeton), middle hitter Ella Moss (Marion, Va./Marion), right side Maddie Stull (Princeton, W.Va./Princeton), defensive specialist Haley Sweeney (Shady Spring, W.Va./Shady Spring) and high school teammate defensive specialist Camille Testerman (Shady Spring, W.Va./Shady Spring), outside hitter Caelyn Wise (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg), and setter Rylee Wise (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg).