The No. 3 Kentucky Volleyball team has been picked to win the Southeastern Conference for the fourth-straight season, the league coaches announced on Thursday afternoon. Kentucky won 11 of the 13 first-place votes, with the Florida Gators picking up the other two.
Additionally, three Kentucky players, Madison Lilley, Gabby Curry and Alli Stumler were named to the nine-person Preseason All-SEC Team, which was also voted upon by the 13 SEC head coaches. The three representatives on the All-Conference Preseason Team is the most for any team in the league, and one of only two teams (Missouri) with more than one representative on the team.
Kentucky has won the SEC in each of the last three years running, and brought in the No. 1 recruiting class in the country this season. UK last season went 14-2 in SEC play, beating Ole Miss on the final day of the regular season to claim its third-straight SEC championship.
For Lilley and Curry, they return to the Preseason All-SEC Team after having earned spots on the 2019 team a season ago. Lilley and Curry are both returning AVCA All-American’s, as is Stumler, who earns a spot on the Preseason All-SEC Team for the first time in her career.
Preseason Coaches’ Poll
(First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
Place
School
Points
1.
Kentucky (11)
143
2.
Florida (2)
132
3.
Missouri
120
4.
Texas A&M
103
5.
LSU
98
6.
Georgia
91
7.
South Carolina
77
Tennessee
77
9.
Arkansas
52
10.
Ole Miss
40
11.
Alabama
34
12.
Mississippi State
28
13.
Auburn
19
Volleyball Preseason All-SEC Team
Name, School
Pos.
Yr.
Ht.
Hometown
Thayer Hall, Florida
OH
Jr.
6-3
Spartanburg, S.C.
Gabby Curry, Kentucky
Libero
Sr.
5-8
Buford, Ga.
Madison Lilley, Kentucky
S
Sr.
5-11
Overland Park, Kan.
Alli Stumler, Kentucky
OH
Jr.
6-1
Floyds Knobs, Ind.
Taylor Bannister, LSU
RS
Sr.
6-5
Missouri City, Texas
Kylie Deberg, Missouri
OH
Sr.
6-4
Hudson, Iowa
Tyanna Omazic, Missouri
MB
Sr.
6-2
Kansas City, Mo.
Mikayla Robinson, South Carolina
MB
Sr.
6-2
West Dundee, Ill.
Camille Conner, Texas A&M
S
Sr.
6-1
Katy, Texas
Kentucky opens its 2020 season on Oct. 16 against Tennessee in Memorial Coliseum. The match will begin at 7 p.m. ET and will be shown live on the SEC Network.
