University of North Texas Athletics
Conference USA Releases Preseason Rankings for 2016
8/1/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
DENTON - Coming off of a third-place regular season finish in 2015, the North Texas volleyball team was picked to finished sixth in the 2016 Preseason Poll released by the Conference USA office on Monday afternoon.
WKU took home the C-USA title again last season and they enter the preseason atop the rankings. UTSA checks in at No. 2 followed by Rice, Southern Miss and Florida Atlantic, respectively.
Head coach Andrew Paileo enters his fourth season at the helm of the North Texas program. He guided the 2015 squad to a 20-13 overall record with an 11-5 showing in conference, which was the second-consecutive year North Texas posted a 20-plus win season.
The biggest question heading into the 2016 campaign is how the Mean Green are going to replace the offensive production of back-to-back C-USA Player of the Year Carnae Dillard, who completed her eligibility in 2015. Dillard paced the NCAA in kills (687) and total attacks (1,768) in 2015. She also rewrote the North Texas record books as she claimed the programs top spot in kills (2,327) and total attacks (6,063).
Setter Amy Henard returns as the only senior on the 2016 squad that features a total of 11 letterwinners including Holly Milam, who garnered second team all-conference honors in 2015. Four incoming freshmen round out the 15-player roster.
North Texas opens up the 2016 campaign on Friday, Aug. 26, as they host Nevada in the North Texas Challenge, which also includes Ohio State, Texas A&M and Texas State. Conference play opens up on Friday, Sept. 23, at home against Southern Miss.
For the full 2016 schedule, click here.
2016 Volleyball Preseason All-Conference USA Team
Name School Pos. Ht. Yr. Hometown
Maja Ristić | Florida Atlantic | OH | 5-9 | Sr. | Brcko, Bosnia |
Ally Kiekover | Marshall | MB | 6-0 | Sr. | Grand Rapids, Mich. |
Chelsey Harris | Rice | S | 6-0 | Sr. | Houston, Texas |
Madison McDaniel | Rice | S | 6-0 | Jr. | The Woodlands, Texas |
Leah Mikesky | Rice | OH | 6-1 | Sr. | Schulenberg, Texas |
Portia Okafor | Rice | MB | 6-2 | Jr. | Lewisville, Texas |
Stephany Purdue | Southern Miss | OH | 5-11 | Sr. | Mesa, Ariz. |
Gabby Deshotel | UAB | OH | 5-11 | Sr. | Daphne, Ala. |
Dajana Boskovic | UTSA | OH | 6-1 | Sr. | Bileca, Bosnia |
Marijeta Runjic | UTSA | OH | 6-4 | Jr. | Trogir, Croatia |
Alyssa Cavanaugh | WKU | OH | 5-10 | Jr. | Louisville, Ky. |
Jessica Lucas | WKU | S | 6-0 | Jr. | Seymour, Ind. |
2016 C-USA Volleyball Preseason Player of the Year
Jessica Lucas - WKU
2016 Conference USA Volleyball Preseason Poll
1. WKU
2. UTSA
3. Rice
4. Southern Miss
5. Florida Atlantic
6. North Texas
7. FIU
8. Marshall
9. Charlotte
10. Middle Tennessee
11. UTEP
12. UAB
13. Louisiana Tech
