RICHARDSON, Texas --- Defending Lone Star Conference Tournament champion West Texas A&M is picked to win the 2024 volleyball title in preseason polling of the head coaches, sports information staff and media as released by the Conference office (Aug. 26).
 
The Lady Buffs totaled 674 points, including 23 of 41 possible first place votes, to outdistance DBU as the 2024 preseason favorite. DBU collected 15 first place votes and 665 points. Last season, the two teams tied for the LSC season title with each posting a 14-2 mark in league play.
 
West Texas A&M finished the 2023 season at 33-4 advancing to the NCAA Division II championship match and a national runner up finish. DBU posted a 24-8 record and finished the year as semifinalist in the Division II South Central Regional.
 
Angelo State compiled 610 points with two first place votes for the No. 3 spot in the preseason poll while Texas A&M-Kingsville was voted fourth with 562 points and one first place vote. UT Tyler completes the preseason top five totaling 536 points.
 
Texas Woman's (481), Lubbock Christian (430) and Texas A&M International (418) list in the preseason six-seven-eight spots, respectively. St. Mary's and UT Permian Basin tied at No. 9 with 349 points. Oklahoma Christian, St. Edward's, Cameron, Eastern New Mexico, Western New Mexio, Midwestern State and Sul Ross State complete the predicted order of the 2024 LSC volleyball standings.
 
The LSC opens its 42nd season of volleyball with a new member among the 17 teams – Sul Ross State – with schedules opening the September 5-7 weekend. The Lone Star Conference Tournament is slated November 21-23 hosted by the No. 1 seeded team. NCAA Division II Championship play begins with regionals December 5-8 and the final rounds December 12-14 in Sioux Falls, S.D.
 
Preseason Player Accolades
 
A trio of returning All-LSC First Team honorees have been named by coaches, sports information staffs and media as 2024 LSC Preseason Players of the Year.
 
The reigning LSC Player of the Year Delaney Fuller (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) was voted Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. A senior outside hitter who also earned AVCA All-America honors a year ago, Fuller led the conference with 494 kills (4.43/set) and points (4.94/set) and listed third in service ace average (0.41/set).
 
Taytum Stow (Hereford, Texas) claimed her second consecutive LSC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year notice. The West Texas A&M junior middle blocker finished the 2023 season with an LSC-best 160 blocks (1.20/set). A sport and exercise science major, Stow earned recognition on the 2023 LSC All-Academic Team for volleyball.
 
Texas A&M International junior Emma Lade (Howard Lake, Minn.) was selected as the Preseason Setter of the Year. The conference assists leader in each of her first two collegiate seasons, Lade was named LSC Setter of the Year a year ago after averaging 10.97 assists per set. Majoring in pre-medicine, Lade was named to the 2023 LSC All-Academic Volleyball Team.
 
The three preseason players of the year headline a list of 48 individuals cited as LSC Players to Watch in the 2024 season. Named by coaches, the list includes 13 returning All-LSC players – eight of those LSC First Team picks; a pair of All-Freshman award recipients; and seven All-Academic Team honorees.
 
 
LSC 2024 Preseason Poll
 
Voted by head coaches, sports information directors and media
 

Pl	Team (1st pl. votes)	Pts.
1	West Texas A&M (23)	674
2	DBU (15)	665
3	Angelo State (2)	610
4	Texas A&M-Kingsville (1)	562
5	UT Tyler	536
6	Texas Woman's	481
7	Lubbock Christian	430
8	Texas A&M International	418
9	St. Mary's	349
	UT Permian Basin	349
11	Oklahoma Christian	299
12	St. Edward's	249
13	Cameron	168
14	Eastern New Mexico	158
15	Western New Mexico	140
16	Midwestern State	130
17	Sul Ross State	55

 
 
LSC 2024 Preseason Honors
 
Preseason Player Awards
Determined by vote of head coaches, sports information staffs and media
 
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Delaney Fuller, Outside Hitter, DBU
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Taytum Stow, Middle Blocker, West Texas A&M
Preseason Setter of the Year: Emma Lade, Setter, Texas A&M International
 
Preseason Players to Watch
As submitted by their respective team; # Indicates preseason player of the year
 

OFFENSIVE	Team	Pos	Cl	Major	Hometown
Evelyn Torres	Angelo State	OH	Gr	Criminal Justice	Fort Worth, Texas
Hailey Baker	Cameron	OH	Fr	Business	Rockwall, Texas
Delaney Fuller #	DBU	OH	Sr	Psychology	San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
Sophia Valdez	Eastern New Mexico	OH/MB	So	Biology	Roswell, N.M.
Lily Bickley	Lubbock Christian	MB	Jr	Biology	Fort Worth, Texas
Isabella Dickens	Midwestern State	MH	So	Physical Therapy	Iowa Park, Texas
Annie Davis	Oklahoma Christian	OH	Jr	Biology	Edmond, Okla.
Kelli Fording	St. Edward's	OH	So	Marketing	San Antonio, Texas
Alicia Virthe	St. Mary's	RSH	Sr	Psychology	Orlando, Fla.
Cassandra Espinoza	Sul Ross State	OH	Jr	Psychology	El Paso, Texas
Anna Ligart	Texas A&M International	RSH	So	Computer Engineering	Godollo, Hungary
Kendall Harrington	Texas A&M-Kingsville	RSH	Jr	Business Mgmt.	San Antonio
Cara Pool	Texas Woman's	MB	Gr	Kinesiology	Double Oak, Texas
Chyna Thompson	UT Permian Basin	MH	Sr	Biology	Killeen, Texas
Autumn Perry	UT Tyler	OH	So	Pre-Nursing	Wylie, Texas
Emma Becker	West Texas A&M	OH	Jr	Communications	Liberty Hill, Texas
Jazmyne Walker	Western New Mexico	OH	Gr	Nursing	Las Vegas, Nevada
DEFENSIVE	Team	Pos	Cl	Major	Hometown
Caleigh Enax	Angelo State	DS	Sr	Exercise Science	Haslet, Texas
Shelby Rusch	Cameron	Libero	Jr	English Education	Greeley, Colo.
Shaylee Shore	DBU	MB	Sr	Health Sciences; Pre-Phys. Therapy	Prosper, Texas
Nickilah Whatley	Eastern New Mexico	MB	So	Psychology	Hereford, Texas
Ramsey Clark	Lubbock Christian	DS	So	Marketing	Midland, Texas
Sara Freeman	Oklahoma Christian	DS	So	Exercise Science	Moore, Okla.
Cora Young	St. Edward's	MB	So	Accounting	Nampa, Idaho
Alyssa Koehl	St. Mary's	Libero	Jr	Exer. & Sport Science	New Braunfels, Texas
Tatyana Colon	Sul Ross State	Libero/DS	Sr	Kinesiology	El Paso, Texas
Mia Ramirez	Texas A&M International	DS/Libero	Fr	Accounting	Pearland, Texas
Ayanna Jackson	Texas A&M-Kingsville	MB	Sr	Kinesiology	San Antonio, Texas
Luna França	Texas Woman's	Libero	Sr	Biology	Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil
Gabby Gregorski	UT Permian Basin	DS	Sr	Criminal Justice	Katy, Texas
Addison Evans	UT Tyler	Libero/DS	Sr	Kinesiology	New Braunfels, Texas
Taytum Stow #	West Texas A&M	MB	Jr	Sport & Exer. Science	Hereford, Texas
Lilouann Bechec	Western New Mexico	DS	Sr	Marketing	Cannes, France
SETTER	Team	Pos	Cl	Major	Hometown
Ava Wadley	Western New Mexico	S	Fr	Biology	Wichita, Kan.
Althea Morris	St. Edward's	S	Fr	Business Admin.	Burbank, Calif.
Abigayle Falefia	Eastern New Mexico	S	Fr	Undeclared	Providence Village, Texas
Kayton Genenbacher	Lubbock Christian	S	Sr	Biology	Lubbock, Texas
Canyen Rodriguez	UT Permian Basin	S	Jr	Business	Portland, Texas
Grace Reynolds	Texas Woman's	S	Jr	Business Mgmt.	Martinsville, Ind.
Eliana Mata	Sul Ross State	S	So	Psychology	Fort Stockton, Texas
Elisa Carli	Texas A&M-Kingsville	S	Jr	Kinesiology	Bedizzole, Italy
Emma Lade #	Texas A&M International	S	Jr	Pre-Medicine	Howard Lake, Minn.
Ainsley Malis	West Texas A&M	S	Sr	Sport & Exer. Science	Tucson, Ariz.
Jenna White	UT Tyler	S	Sr	Marketing	Keenesburg, Colo.
Lauren McClure	Oklahoma Christian	S	Sr	Digital Marketing	Overland Park, Kan.
Cali Nims	St. Mary's	S	Sr	Exer. & Sport Science	Corpus Christi, Texas
Adeline Ortman	Angelo State	S	Gr	MBA	Rhome, Texas
Emily Keohen	Cameron	S	So	Sport & Exer. Science	N. Richland Hills, Texas