Liberty Voted 3rd in Big South Preseason Volleyball Poll
8/1/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Big South Release
The Liberty volleyball team has been voted third in the 2017 Big South preseason coaches' poll, released on Wednesday. Additionally, senior setter Anna Willey and sophomore middle blocker Anna Gragg were named to the Preseason All-Big South team.
This marks the 11th year in a row that Liberty has been voted third or better in the preseason rankings. It is also the third straight year in which two Lady Flames appear on the Preseason All-Big South team, and eighth time since 2008 that multiple Liberty players have received preseason honors.
High Point was selected as the preseason favorite for the second year in a row after winning the Big South tournament title last season, receiving six first-place votes and 77 total points. Defending regular-season champion Radford was voted second with 73 points, garnering two first-place votes. Liberty was listed third at 62 points after finishing as Big South regular-season runner-up last year.
Campbell drew fourth position with 46 points, while Charleston Southern (44) was listed fifth while receiving one first-place mention. Winthrop gained sixth place with 38 points, while UNC Asheville (28), Gardner-Webb (25) and Presbyterian (12) round out the poll.
Liberty posted a 16-13 record last season, finishing in a tie for second in the Big South with an 11-5 conference mark. It was the 11th year in a row that the Lady Flames had recorded nine or more conference victories. Liberty is 123-37 (.768) in Big South play since 2007.
A Davenport, Iowa, native, Willey had a strong 2016 season as Liberty's starting setter, earning Big South All-Conference second team honors after receiving honorable mention as a sophomore. She ranked second in the Big South with 9.67 assists per set. The junior led the team with 12 double-doubles for the second year in a row. She recorded nine 40-assist matches and five 50-assist contests. Willey has dished out 2,254 career assists, ranking eighth in program history.
Hailing from Missoula, Mont., Gragg was one of the top middle blockers in the Big South last season, being named honorable mention on the Big South All-Conference team. Gragg set a new program freshman record with 108 blocks last year. She finished her freshman season ranked fourth in the Big South in both hitting percentage (.302) and blocks per set (1.04). Gragg posted eight 10-kill matches and also registered five or more blocks on nine occasions.
Liberty begins its 2017 schedule on Aug. 25, taking on Villanova in a tournament hosted by Virginia in Charlottesville, Va. The Lady Flames' home opener will take place, Sept. 1, as Liberty opens its home invitational against Maryland. The team begins conference play on Sept. 19 at home against High Point.
The 2017 Big South Volleyball Championship will be hosted by Radford, Nov. 17-19 at the Dedmon Center. The winner of the Big South Volleyball Championship will earn the conference's automatic qualifying bid to the 2017 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship.
2017 Big South Conference Preseason Volleyball Poll
Team (First-place votes) – Points
1. High Point (6) 77
2. Radford (2) 73
3. Liberty 62
4. Campbell 46
5. Charleston Southern (1) 44
6. Winthrop 38
7. UNC Asheville 28
8. Gardner-Webb 25
9. Presbyterian 12
2017 Preseason All-Big South Team
Maddie Palmer, Radford, Sr., OH (Preseason Player of the Year)
Haley Barnes, High Point, Sr., OH
Molly Livingston, High Point, Jr., MB
Haley Kleespies, Radford, Jr., S
Madison Martin, Charleston Southern, Jr., Libero
Anna Gragg, Liberty, Soph., MB
Anna Willey, Liberty, Sr., S
