ATLANTA, Ga. (August 28, 2024) - Covenant College has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2024 Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) Women’s Volleyball Championship following a vote by the league’s head coaches. The Scots garnered 60 total points and four first-place votes, as announced by the league office on Wednesday.
The reigning CCS champions, Covenant College, return to the court with momentum after an extraordinary 2023 season. The Scots dominated the competition with a remarkable 35-3 overall record, going undefeated in conference play with a 16-0 record. Their exceptional season earned them a spot in the national rankings, where they cracked the top 25 for the first time in school history. Covenant’s journey continued in the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship, where they secured a thrilling 3-1 victory over No. 14 Mount St. Joseph in the first round before narrowly falling to No. 7 Emory in a five-set thriller in the second round. The Scots enter the 2024 season ranked No. 25 in the AVCA poll. All eyes will be on senior Kelsey Carman, an all-conference honoree who returns to lead the charge for Covenant.
Maryville College, picked second in the preseason poll with 56 points and three first-place votes, also had an impressive 2023 season under Coach Brienna Laskowski. Now the full-time head coach, Laskowski led the Scots last season to an 18-17 record and a deep run in the CCS tournament, where they made it to the championship game before falling to Covenant. Maryville’s determination to reclaim the title will be a storyline to watch this season.
Huntingdon College comes in third with 54 points and two first-place votes. The Hawks, who finished last season with a 14-19 overall record and an 11-6 mark in conference play, return a seasoned roster full of experience. With eight seniors on the squad, Huntingdon is poised to make a strong push for the championship this year.
Piedmont rounds out the top four with 38 points, returning two key all-conference players in setter Vanessa Manzo and outside hitter Katie Hubbard. The Lions finished last season with a 14-16 overall record and an 11-5 conference record.
Newcomer Asbury enters its first season in the CCS with 37 points, while Belhaven, LaGrange, Agnes Scott, and Wesleyan complete the preseason rankings.
The regular season kicks off on Friday, August 30, with the majority of conference teams in action. The 2024 CCS Women’s Volleyball Championship Tournament will begin on Tuesday, November 12 featuring the top six squads, and will culminate with the championship game on Saturday, November 16, hosted by the highest-seeded team.
Below is a look at the 2024 CCS Women’s Volleyball Preseason Poll. First-place votes are in parentheses:
2024 CCS WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON POLL
- Covenant - 60 points (4)
- Maryville - 56 points (3)
- Huntingdon - 54 points (2)
- Piedmont - 38 points
- Asbury - 37 points
- Belhaven - 34 points
- LaGrange - 21 points
- Agnes Scott - 15 points
- Wesleyan - 9 points
ABOUT THE COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE OF THE SOUTH (CCS)
The CCS is an NCAA Division III athletic conference that began play during the 2022-23 academic year. The conference features nine member institutions (Agnes Scott College, Asbury University, Belhaven University, Covenant College, Huntingdon College, LaGrange College, Maryville College, Piedmont University, and Wesleyan College) and sponsors championships across 14 sports. In addition to sharing the member institutions' geographic identity, the name 'Collegiate Conference of the South' is indicative of a shared commitment to academic excellence, which is commensurate with the NCAA Division III philosophy.
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