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Volleyball Picked Second in Preseason Poll
8/15/2016 9:35:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
The two-time defending regular season OVC Champion Murray State volleyball team has been selected to finish second in this year's preseason OVC poll, as voted on by the league's coaches and SIDs.
MSU received a total of 227 points and six first-place votes in the poll. 2015 OVC Tournament champion Belmont was picked as the preseason favorite after getting 16 first-place votes. Schools were not allowed to vote for themselves.
The Racers placed three student-athletes on the Preseason All-OVC Team in Kristen Besselsen, Scottie Ingram and Ellie Lorenz. Besselsen and Ingram were automatically put on the squad after being named to the 2015 All-OVC Team.
Last season, Ingram became just the sixth player in conference history to be named OVC Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons. Ingram was second in the OVC in kills per set with 4.06. Besslesen was second on the team in 2015 with 301 kills, 3.27 kills per set and 75 assists. Lorenz was third in the league averaging 4.45 digs per set.
The Racers open the season Aug. 26 and 27 when they travel to Fort Wayne, Ind., for the Fort Wayne Invitational.
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2016 Preseason All-OVC Volleyball Team
Scottie Ingram, Murray State* OH Sr. 5-10 Solsberry, Ind.
Arianna Person, Belmont* OH Jr. 5-8 Lenexa, Kan.
Allie Hueston, Eastern Illinois* MH Jr. 6-0 Andeson, Ind.
Chloe Watson, Tennessee State*# OH Sr. 5-10 Kent, Wash.
Nzingha Clarke, Southeast Missouri* MB Jr. 6-1 O'Fallon, Ill.
Meredith Jewell, Morehead State*# OH So. 6-0 Mt. Washington, Ky.
Kristen Besselsen, Murray State* RS R-Sr. 6-3 St. Louis, Mo.
Emma Price, Belmont* S R-Jr. 5-10 Fort Mill, S.C.
Samantha Beltran, Tennessee State S Jr. 5-10 Mississuaga, Ontario
Taylor Smith, Eastern Illinois# OH/S So. 6-0 Mattoon, Ill.
Ellie Lorenz, Murray State L Sr. 5-4 St. Louis, Mo.
Ashley Witt, SIUE OH Jr. 5-11 Lincoln, Neb.
Brie Lewis, Belmont RS/MB Jr. 5-10 Stillwell, Kans.
Kellie Williams, Tennessee Tech OH Jr. 6-0 Charlotte, N.C.
* - All-OVC in 2015
# - All-Newcomer in 2015
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Predicted Order of Finish
1. Belmont (16 first-place votes) 235
2. Murray State (Six first-place votes) 227
3. Tennessee State 178
4. Eastern Illinois 172
5. Morehead State (Two first-place votes) 159
6. Eastern Kentucky 140
7. Tennessee Tech 126
8. Southeast Missouri 92
9. SIUE 89
10. Jacksonville State 82
t11. Austin Peay 38
t11. UT Martin 38
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MSU received a total of 227 points and six first-place votes in the poll. 2015 OVC Tournament champion Belmont was picked as the preseason favorite after getting 16 first-place votes. Schools were not allowed to vote for themselves.
The Racers placed three student-athletes on the Preseason All-OVC Team in Kristen Besselsen, Scottie Ingram and Ellie Lorenz. Besselsen and Ingram were automatically put on the squad after being named to the 2015 All-OVC Team.
Last season, Ingram became just the sixth player in conference history to be named OVC Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons. Ingram was second in the OVC in kills per set with 4.06. Besslesen was second on the team in 2015 with 301 kills, 3.27 kills per set and 75 assists. Lorenz was third in the league averaging 4.45 digs per set.
The Racers open the season Aug. 26 and 27 when they travel to Fort Wayne, Ind., for the Fort Wayne Invitational.
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2016 Preseason All-OVC Volleyball Team
Scottie Ingram, Murray State* OH Sr. 5-10 Solsberry, Ind.
Arianna Person, Belmont* OH Jr. 5-8 Lenexa, Kan.
Allie Hueston, Eastern Illinois* MH Jr. 6-0 Andeson, Ind.
Chloe Watson, Tennessee State*# OH Sr. 5-10 Kent, Wash.
Nzingha Clarke, Southeast Missouri* MB Jr. 6-1 O'Fallon, Ill.
Meredith Jewell, Morehead State*# OH So. 6-0 Mt. Washington, Ky.
Kristen Besselsen, Murray State* RS R-Sr. 6-3 St. Louis, Mo.
Emma Price, Belmont* S R-Jr. 5-10 Fort Mill, S.C.
Samantha Beltran, Tennessee State S Jr. 5-10 Mississuaga, Ontario
Taylor Smith, Eastern Illinois# OH/S So. 6-0 Mattoon, Ill.
Ellie Lorenz, Murray State L Sr. 5-4 St. Louis, Mo.
Ashley Witt, SIUE OH Jr. 5-11 Lincoln, Neb.
Brie Lewis, Belmont RS/MB Jr. 5-10 Stillwell, Kans.
Kellie Williams, Tennessee Tech OH Jr. 6-0 Charlotte, N.C.
* - All-OVC in 2015
# - All-Newcomer in 2015
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Predicted Order of Finish
1. Belmont (16 first-place votes) 235
2. Murray State (Six first-place votes) 227
3. Tennessee State 178
4. Eastern Illinois 172
5. Morehead State (Two first-place votes) 159
6. Eastern Kentucky 140
7. Tennessee Tech 126
8. Southeast Missouri 92
9. SIUE 89
10. Jacksonville State 82
t11. Austin Peay 38
t11. UT Martin 38
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