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HomeSportsAPSU Volleyball selected second in OVC Preseason Poll

APSU Volleyball selected second in OVC Preseason Poll

APSU Sports Information

APSU Women's VolleyballBrentwood, TN – Expectations will run high for Austin Peay State University’s volleyball team after the Ohio Valley Conference’s coaches and sports information directors picked them to finish second in the 2017 regular-season race, Tuesday.

In addition to the preseason poll, senior middle blocker Ashley Slay and junior setter Kristen Stucker were named to the 14-member Preseason All-OVC team. Each following a First-Team All-OVC appearance for each last season.

Austin Peay Volleyball picked to finish second in the 2017 Season by OVC Coaches and Sports Information Directors. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Volleyball picked to finish second in the 2017 Season by OVC Coaches and Sports Information Directors. (APSU Sports Information)

It is the highest the Governors have been picked in the league’s preseason poll since being picked second in 2011 — the year following its OVC tournament championship.

Austin Peay was picked behind preseason favorite Belmont, which received 10 first place votes to the Governors six first-place nods. Austin Peay will host Belmont at the OVC race’s midway point in a Thursday, October 19th, 2017 contest at the Dunn Center.

“As a coach and athlete you can’t put too much stock into the preseason poll,” said Governors head coach Taylor Mott. “[Being picked second] is a double-edged sword. It’s nice to have the attention of your peers, but it also means you have their attention.”

APSU Volleyball - Ashley SlayBehind the Governors, SIU Edwardsville was picked to finish third after a second-place finish last season. Murray State, the defending OVC champion, was picked to finish fourth. Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State were tabbed for fifth and sixth place, respectively.

On the individual front, it is the first time Austin Peay has had two individuals named to the Preseason All-OVC team since 2010 when Jessica Mollmann and Sarah Alisaleh – a middle blocker and setter – were on the preseason squad and they helped lead the 2010 team to the OVC tourney title.

Slay will enter the season as the league’s second leading returning scorer and fourth among returning hitters in kills per set (3.65). She also was ranked just outside the league’s top 10 in blocks per set (0.81) during league play last season. Slay also was the league’s most efficient hitter among those hitters with more than 200 attempts in league play, posting a .315 attack percentage.

APSU Volleyball - Kristen StuckerStucker returns after becoming the first Governors player to earn the league’s “Setter of the Year” award last season. She led Austin Peay’s offense to a .223 attack percentage that led the OVC in all matches by 17 points. Stucker led all setters with a 10.54 assists average – 59th best among all Division I setters.

Austin Peay is just 11 days from opening its 2017 schedule when it hosts the Culvers Governors Challenge, August 25th-27th.

The Governors will open the season with a 3:00pm, Friday, August 25th contest against UMKC. Austin Peay also will face Marshall, nationally-ranked Missouri and Northern Iowa during the event.

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