Southland announces 2023 Volleyball Preseason All-Conference, prediction poll

FRISCO, Texas – Packed with returning talent, the Southland Conference announced its preseason all-conference volleyball teams on Friday afternoon. Houston Christian was voted to the top spot in the Southland Conference Volleyball preseason poll.

Led by 2022 Southland Conference Coach of the Year, Trent Herman, Houston Christian (120) earned eight first-place votes in the 2023 preseason poll. HCU places five players on the preseason all-conference teams including 2022 Newcomer of the Year, Grace McLaughlin.

After claiming the conference tournament championship in 2022, Southeastern (118) comes in second in the preseason poll with eight first-place votes. The Lions place three players on the preseason all-conference teams, including the SLC Tournament MVP Kailin Newsome.

Accounting for a pair of spots on the preseason all-conference first team, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (96) was voted the third place spot, followed by McNeese (93) in fourth. Northwestern State rounded out the top five with 82 points. UIW (58), Texas A&M-Commerce (55), and New Orleans (53) come in at six, seven, and eight, while Nicholls (23) and Lamar (22) closed out the poll.

The two All-SLC squads include 11 of 14 returning all-conference players from last season including Player of the Year Kyndal Payne (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi), Freshman of the Year Sanni Rantanen (McNeese), and Newcomer of the Year Grace McLaughlin (Houston Christian).

Payne led the way in conference play in points per set (5.39), kills per set (4.91), and double-doubles (11). She hit double-digit kills in every conference match and broke the A&M-Corpus Christi record for kills in a match with 28.

McLaughlin ranked second in the league with 10.31 assists per set in conference play. She posted 19 double-doubles, 10 of those being in conference play, and had 50 or more assists five times. She was the first Huskie to be named Newcomer of the Year since 2015.

Rantanen made an immediate impact for the Cowgirls last season, ranking third in the league in hitting percentage (.348), seventh in aces per set (.36), and fifth in blocks per set (1.00). She was the first Cowgirl to be named Freshman of the Year since 2002.

HCU led the way with five total selections as the Huskies placed a pair on the first team and three players on the second team. The defending conference tournament champions earn three all-conference spots, placing one Lion on the first team and two Lions on the second team. The Islanders find two positions on the first team, while McNeese and Northwestern round the all-conference teams out with a player on each of the first and second teams.

The season begins Friday, Aug. 25, with all ten squads in action, and conference play opens Thursday, Sept. 21. The 2023 Southland Conference Volleyball Championship will be held Nov. 16-19 in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The Southland Conference preseason poll is voted on by each head coach and volleyball sports information director. Each voter ranks their predicted order of regular season finish, not including their own team.

2023 Southland Conference Volleyball Preseason First Team

2023 Southland Conference Volleyball Preseason Second Team