Lady Flames Volleyball Team Selected to Finish Second in Preseason Poll
LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Lady Flames were tabbed the second-place finisher in the Big South Conference’s annual preseason poll, as voted by the League’s head volleyball coaches. Liberty’s Karyl Bacon was named to the preseason All-Big South team.
Coastal Carolina was picked to win its second-straight Big South Championship title, collecting four first-place votes. The Lady Flames, who have shared the top regular-season finish for the last three years, fell to the Chanticleers in the 2009 championship match.
Liberty, which earned two top bids in the voting, was followed by Winthrop, High Point, UNC Asheville, Charleston Southern, Presbyterian College, Gardner-Webb and Radford, in that order.
Coastal Carolina’s Chelsy Kimes was named the Big South Preseason Player of the Year.
Bacon, Liberty’s lone senior and a member of the 2009 All-Big South second team, paced the squad with 13 double-doubles last year, including four in a row to close out the regular season. She also ranked No. 5 in the conference, and first among non-liberos, with 3.78 digs per set.
The Lady Flames will kick off the 2010 season on Aug. 27, competing in the East Carolina Classic in Greenville, N.C. Their first match is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. against the Vikings of Cleveland State.
2010 Big South conference Preseason Volleyball Poll
1. Coastal Carolina (74 points)
2. Liberty (71 points)
3. Winthrop (64 points)
4. High Point (51 points)
5. UNC Asheville (44 points)
6. Charleston Southern (36 points)
7. Presbyterian College (32 points)
8. Gardner-Webb (20 points)
9. Radford (13 points)
2010 Preseason All-Big South Team
Chelsy Kimes, Coastal Carolina*
Megan Bickford, Coastal Carolina
Amanda Hill, Charleston Southern
Julie Hershkowitz, High Point
Karyl Bacon, Liberty
Kelsey Benorden, UNC Asheville
Kaley Viola, Winthrop
*Big South Preseason Player of the Year
