Volleyball picked second in SSAC Preseason Poll

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The 2024 volleyball season is one week away for Loyola University New Orleans, and the Southern States Athletic Conference released its 2024 Coaches' Preseason Poll on Friday. For the second straight year, the Wolf Pack were picked second in the poll. 
 

Loyola gained 88 total votes, which is 10 votes behind top vote-getter Blue Mountain Chrisitan (98) and 14 votes ahead of third-standing Life University (74). Mobile (72) and William Carey (56) finish off the Top 5 teams, and Point (48), Tennessee Southern (43), Faulkner (38), Middle Georgia State (21) and Brewton-Parker (12) round out the poll. 
 

The Pack returns four of their Top 6 attackers, including SSAC All-Conference First Teamer Amaya Bazemore (2.46 k/s and 1.07 b/s). Juliana Pacini (2.06 k/s), Alexa Palmer (1.69 k/s) and Preslie Boswell (1.5 k/s) add depth to Loyola's attack as well. Simone Moreau, who was named the SSAC Defensive Player of the Year, is back as the team's libero, and Ellie Connor, who was named to the SSAC All-Freshman Team, returns as one of the team's setters.  
 

Loyola opens the season this weekend in Butte, Montana, taking part in the Big Sky Challenge against Life Pacific (Calif.), Northwestern College (Iowa), Montana Tech and Montana State-Northern. The Pack will also host the Wolf Pack Welcome Aug. 23-24 in The Den, and they'll play at Xavier's Big Easy Blastoff Aug. 29-31 before SSAC play begins in early September. 
 

Loyola was 26-7 overall and 13-2 in SSAC play to finish in second place in the regular-season standings. The program's 26 wins were the most for the Wolf Pack since the 2012 season, and the team's berth in the NAIA National Championship tournament was the first appearance since the 2002 campaign. 
 

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