VIDEO: Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Interview

ROCK HILL, S.C. – The head coaches of the South Atlantic Conference have selected Carson-Newman fourth in the league's annual preseason poll, the SAC office announced Thursday morning. 

The Eagles received 89 votes, the same as Tusculum.  No. 25 Wingate was picked to win the league with 25 first place votes.  2014 co-regular season champions Anderson and Lenoir-Rhyne were picked to finish second and third, respectively. 

"It's better than eighth or 12^th," head coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield said. "We lost a lot so I can see how people might see us as the fourth best team in the league.  But this doesn't mean a whole lot.  It'll matter more where we finish."

At No. 6 was Catawba with 86 points, while Lincoln Memorial finished at No. 7 with 82 points.  Mars Hill was eighth as the Lions notched 64 points.  Brevard's 43 points was good for No. 9, ahead of 10th-place Queens, who posted 38 points.  Coker (37 points) and Newberry (35 points) finished up the poll.

Last year the Eagles were picked to finish fourth before wrapping up the year with an 11-11 mark in league and a seventh place finish – the worst in the program's 30-year history.

Carson-Newman is looking to replace much of an infield that saw three seniors – Brittany Hefner, Sara Kelley and Caitlyn Lance – graduate after combining for more than 500 starts in their careers. 

"They are truly missed," Kazee-Hollifield said. "I miss their offense as much as their defense.  We'll miss their time together.  But we recruited well and hopefully we can gain that back as the season goes along.

"Everybody on this team needs to step up.  We'll see where we are when we take on Belmont Abbey."

The Eagles also lose reigning South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year Kelli Hensley a season after she set both the league and school single season records for hits in a season. 

C-N hits the field for the first time this season Feb. 4 at Belmont Abbey.

Rk    Team (first-place votes)               Points
1.     Wingate (7)                                          122
2.     Anderson (3)                                       120
3.     Lenoir-Rhyne (1)                                 119
4.     Tusculum (1)                                          89
        Carson-Newman                                    89
6.     Catawba                                                  86
7.     Lincoln Memorial                                  82
8.     Mars Hill                                                  64
9.     Brevard                                                   43
10.  Queens                                                   38
11.  Coker                                                       37
12.  Newberry                                               35