West A&M Predicted to Defend Its Volleyball Crown;
Miller, Stow, Lade Claim Preseason Player of the Year Honors
RICHARDSON, Texas --- Defending NCAA Division II national champion West Texas A&M is picked to repeat as Lone Star Conference volleyball champion in preseason polling of the head coaches, sports information directors and media as released by the conference office (Aug. 16).
The Lady Buffs compiled 762 points, including 42 of 45 possible first-place votes, to outdistance UT Tyler as the LSC 2023 preseason favorite. West Texas A&M is coming off a 33-4 season which included an unblemished conference record (16-0) and 20th LSC title enroute to the 2022 NCAA Division II national title. West Texas A&M carries a 26-game winning streak into the new season.
UT Tyler totaled 644 points and the No. 2 spot in the preseason poll while Texas A&M-Kingsville was voted third with 590 points. Dallas Baptist, the 2022 LSC runner-up, received two first-place votes and 564 points for fourth place. Angelo State rounds out the preseason top five with 519 points.
St. Mary's (494) edged Texas A&M International (493) for the sixth spot while UAFS (468), Texas Woman's (395) and Lubbock Christian (382) listed eight through 10, respectively. Oklahoma Christian, St. Edward's, UT Permian Basin, Eastern New Mexico, Midwestern State, Western New Mexico and Cameron complete the predicted order of the 2023 season standings.
Volleyball gets its 41st season of LSC play gets underway when the 17 teams open on September 1. The LSC Volleyball Tournament is scheduled November 16-18 hosted by the No. 1 seed following conference play. The Division II Championship opens November 30 with the final December 9.
Preseason Player Accolades
A pair of West Texas A&M players, Torrey Miller (Brownwood, Texas) and Taytum Stow (Hereford, Texas), join Emma Lade (Howard Lake, Minn.) from Texas A&M International as LSC 2023 Preseason Player of the Year picks.
An AVCA All-American a year ago, Miller claimed 2023 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year honors. The senior outside hitter was named Most Valuable Player for the 2022 Division II Volleyball Championship, South Central Regional and LSC tournament. She was voted 2022 LSC Offensive Player of the Year and All-LSC First-Team after averaging 3.77 kills behind a league-high 479 kills.
The LSC Defensive Player of the Year and All-LSC First Team selection a year ago, Stow was voted as the 2023 LSC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. The sophomore middle blocker led the conference with a 1.25 blocks per game average while hitting at a .342 clip and earning AVCA Honorable Mention All-America and LSC All-Freshman Team honors.
Sophomore Lade was voted 2023 LSC Preseason Setter of the Year. In her first collegiate season, Lade was named to the All-LSC Freshman Team and a place on the LSC First-Team after leading the conference with a 10.90 assist average. She helped the Dustdevils to third place finishes in the LSC regular-season and tournament in 2022.
Preseason Players of the Year Miller, Stow and Lade headline a list of 46 Lone Star Conference Players to Watch in the 2023 season. Named by the head coaches, returners include individuals who earned conference, regional and national athletic and academic awards a year ago.
LSC Volleyball 2023 Preseason Poll
As voted by head coaches, sports information directors and media
|
Rank
|
Team
|
Points
|
|
1
|
West Texas A&M (42)
|
762
|
|
2
|
UT Tyler
|
644
|
|
3
|
Texas A&M-Kingsville
|
590
|
|
4
|
DBU (2)
|
564
|
|
5
|
Angelo State
|
519
|
|
6
|
St. Mary's
|
494
|
|
7
|
Texas A&M International
|
493
|
|
8
|
UAFS
|
468
|
|
9
|
Texas Woman's
|
395
|
|
10
|
Lubbock Christian
|
382
|
|
11
|
Oklahoma Christian
|
291
|
|
12
|
St. Edward's
|
276
|
|
13
|
UT Permian Basin (1)
|
264
|
|
14
|
Eastern New Mexico
|
221
|
|
15
|
Midwestern State
|
183
|
|
16
|
Western New Mexico
|
88
|
|
17
|
Cameron
|
71
|
LSC Volleyball Players to Watch in 2023
# Preseason Player of the Year
|
Name
|
Institution
|
Pos
|
Cl
|
Major
|
Hometown
|
|
Laney Dale
|
Angelo State
|
S
|
Sr
|
Management
|
Brock, Texas
|
|
Maya Smalls
|
Angelo State
|
RS
|
Gr
|
Business Administration
|
San Antonio, Texas
|
|
Meagan Jimenez
|
Cameron
|
L
|
Sr
|
Business Marketing
|
Lubbock, Texas
|
|
Paris Patterson
|
Cameron
|
OH
|
So
|
Biology
|
Amarillo, Texas
|
|
Emily Keohen
|
Cameron
|
S
|
Fr
|
Sports & Exercise Science
|
North Richland Hills, Texas
|
|
Shaylee Shore
|
DBU
|
MB
|
Jr
|
Pre-Physical Therapy
|
Prosper, Texas
|
|
Aryn Walton
|
DBU
|
S
|
Jr
|
Business Administration
|
Midlothian, Texas
|
|
Getsemani Carrasco
|
Eastern New Mexico
|
L
|
Sr
|
Psychology
|
Amarillo, Texas
|
|
Gracelyn Stubbs
|
Eastern New Mexico
|
MB
|
Gr
|
Physical Education
|
Albuquerque, N.M.
|
|
Lillian Bickley
|
Lubbock Christian
|
RS
|
So
|
Pre-Medicine
|
Fort Worth, Texas
|
|
Kalli Dalland
|
Lubbock Christian
|
MB
|
Sr
|
Business Administration
|
Johnson City, Texas
|
|
Kayton Genenbacker
|
Lubbock Christian
|
S
|
Jr
|
Biology
|
Lubbock, Texas
|
|
Taygon Jones
|
Midwestern State
|
DS
|
So
|
Nursing
|
Bowie, Texas
|
|
Brooke Parker
|
Midwestern State
|
S
|
Jr
|
Nursing
|
Flagstaff, Ariz.
|
|
Sadie Portmann
|
Midwestern State
|
OH
|
So
|
Applied Arts & Sciences
|
Wichita Falls, Texas
|
|
Brylie Brerryman
|
Oklahoma Christian
|
DS
|
Jr
|
Biology
|
Amarillo, Texas
|
|
Katy Geurin
|
Oklahoma Christian
|
OH
|
So
|
Exercise Science
|
Corpus Christi, Texas
|
|
Lauren McClure
|
Oklahoma Christian
|
S
|
Jr
|
Marketing
|
Stillwell, Kan.
|
|
Sarah Konovofoff
|
St Edward's
|
L
|
Sr
|
Marketing
|
Clermont, Fla.
|
|
Audrey Quesnel
|
St. Edward's
|
MB
|
Sr
|
Psychology
|
Austin, Texas
|
|
Natalia Walls
|
St. Edward's
|
S
|
Sr
|
Mathematics
|
Dallas, Texas
|
|
Dallasstar Johnson
|
St. Mary's
|
MB
|
So
|
Psychology
|
San Antonio, Texas
|
|
Cali Nims
|
St. Mary's
|
S
|
Jr
|
Exercise & Sport Science
|
Corpus Christi, Texas
|
|
Landri Withers
|
St. Mary's
|
OH
|
So
|
Exercise & Sport Science
|
Stephenville, Texas
|
|
Giulia Hortelan
|
Texas A&M International
|
OH
|
Sr
|
Business
|
Sao Paulo, Brazil
|
|
Emma Lade #
|
Texas A&M International
|
S
|
So
|
Biology
|
Howard Lake, Minn.
|
|
Lixai Perez
|
Texas A&M International
|
L
|
Sr
|
Kinesiology
|
Bayamon, Puerto Rico
|
|
Jackie Alanas
|
Texas A&M-Kingsville
|
OH
|
Sr
|
Biomedical Science
|
McAllen, Texas
|
|
Elisa Carli
|
Texas A&M-Kingsville
|
S
|
So
|
Kinesiology
|
Italy
|
|
Ayanna Jackson
|
Texas A&M-Kingsville
|
MB
|
Jr
|
Kinesiology
|
San Antonio, Texas
|
|
Luna Franca
|
Texas Woman's
|
L/DS
|
Jr
|
Biology
|
Belo Horizonta, Brasil
|
|
Grace Reynolds
|
Texas Woman's
|
S
|
So
|
Business Management
|
Martinsville, Ind.
|
|
Kaia Saylor
|
Texas Woman's
|
OH
|
Sr
|
Education
|
Aubrey, Texas
|
|
Caelyn Gunn
|
UAFS
|
OH
|
So
|
Business Administration
|
Denton, Texas
|
|
Chloe Price
|
UAFS
|
S
|
Sr
|
Organizational Leadership
|
Siloam Springs, Ark.
|
|
Hannah Watkins
|
UAFS
|
MB
|
So
|
Social Work
|
Greenwood, Ark.
|
|
Gabby Gregorski
|
UT Permian Basin
|
DS
|
Jr
|
Criminal Justice
|
Katy, Texas
|
|
Chyra Thompson
|
UT Permian Basin
|
MH
|
Jr
|
Biology
|
Killeen, Texas
|
|
Dakota Rogers-Hurtado
|
UT Tyler
|
MB
|
Jr
|
Kinesiology
|
McKinney, Texas
|
|
Adeline Ortman
|
UT Tyler
|
S
|
Jr
|
Business Administration
|
Rhome, Texas
|
|
Maiya Pena
|
UT Tyler
|
MB
|
Gr
|
Kinesiology
|
Houston, Texas
|
|
Torrey Miller #
|
West Texas A&M
|
OH
|
Sr
|
Physical Therapy
|
Brownwood, Texas
|
|
Blair Moreland
|
West Texas A&M
|
S
|
Jr
|
Equine Industry & Business
|
Katy, Texas
|
|
Taytum Stow #
|
West Texas A&M
|
MB
|
So
|
Graphic Design
|
Hereford, Texas
|
|
Leticia Correa
|
Western New Mexico
|
S
|
Jr
|
Biology
|
Sao Paulo, Brazil
|
|
Jazmyne Walker
|
Western New Mexico
|
OH
|
Sr
|
Nursing
|
Las Vegas, Nev.
|
