VIDEO: Cat Collins Reaction to SAC Preseason Poll

ROCK HILL, S.C. – The South Atlantic Conference has announced that Carson-Newman was selected fifth in the 2024 volleyball preseason poll, the same as its finish in 2023.

Despite the position being lower than its second-place selection last season, the ranking is still impressive considering a change at the helm with Cat Collins in her first year as head coach, and 10 new student-athletes suiting up in Mossy Creek.

"It's a good way for us to start, but it is definitely not where we plan on finishing" volleyball head coach Cat Collins said.

Carson-Newman has positioned itself as one of the most consistent teams in the SAC, finishing in the top five of the conference for seven straight years. C-N finished just 11-7 in conference play last season, but it was enough for fifth in the conference and a spot in the SAC Tournament where it fell to Lenoir-Rhyne.

At the top of the preseason poll for the 19^th consecutive season are the Bulldogs of Wingate, receiving all but two first-place votes, with the others being taken by Anderson. Sitting between the Trojans and the Eagles of Mossy Creek are Lenoir-Rhyne and Tusculum, picked to finish third and fourth, respectively.

Following Carson-Newman; Catawba, Mars Hill and Limestone take spots six through eight. Lincoln Memorial, Newberry and Emory & Henry are slotted nine through 11, with UVA Wise and Coker rounding out the poll with the Cobras picked to finish last by every voter.

C-N has much to prove with 10 new faces to the roster this season, including seven freshman and three transfers including Kylee Oldenburger (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), a transfer from Upper Iowa and younger sister of former C-N volleyball standout Meg Oldenburger; Bahar Kurtulus, the first international player in program history hails from Turkey and comes to Mossy Creek from UNC-Asheville and Cincinnati; and Addie Smith (Jonesborough, Tenn.), a sophomore transfer from Maryville who collected three triple-doubles last season at Division III.

Highlighting the returnees are the Cherry sisters, Blake (Cookeville, Tenn.) returning from an injury in the season opener last year, and Blair (Knoxville, Tenn.) who quickly made a name for herself as C-N's top setter as a freshman. Additionally, the 2024 season will see the return of Taylor Adams (Covington, Ga.), Taylor Keeran (Galion, Ohio), and McKenna Hall (Bristol, Wis.) who all look to take another lap around Mossy Creek.

Carson-Newman opens the 2024 campaign on Friday, Sept. 6 against 2023 national semifinalist Missouri-St. Louis before taking on Harding and Union in the Union Volleyball Classic in Jackson, Tennessee. The Eagles play their home opener against Lincoln Memorial on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 7:00 p.m. at Holt Fieldhouse.