Texas volleyball tabbed as favorites in inaugural SEC season

Texas players storm the court after winning the NCAA Division I women’s college volleyball tournament against Nebraska Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

AUSTIN (KXAN) — It doesn’t matter what conference the Texas volleyball team is in, they get respect anywhere they go.

Southeastern Conference coaches picked the back-to-back defending national champions to win the league title in their first year and Texas placed four players on the preseason all-conference team. That’s the most of any team in the SEC.

The Longhorns received 14 of 15 first-place votes for 196 points in the poll. The other first-place vote went to Florida who finished second in the poll with 174 points, followed by Kentucky (173), Georgia (148) and Tennessee (144).

Madisen Skinner, Emma Halter, Ella Swindle and Reagan Rutherford were all named to the preseason all-conference team. Skinner was named the VolleyballMag.com national player of the year and the Big 12 Conference female athlete of the year last season. She made the team as an outside hitter.

Halter was one of two liberos selected to the team, Swindle was part of five setters honored and Rutherford — a transfer from Kentucky — was named to the team as an opposite.

2024 SEC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
(First-place votes in parentheses)
School                        Points
1. Texas (14)                196
2. Florida (1)                174
3. Kentucky                  173
4. Georgia                    148
5. Tennessee                144
6. Missouri                   127
7. Texas A&M              117
8. Arkansas                  109
9. LSU                           82
10. Auburn                   77
11. Oklahoma               73
12. Ole Miss                 49
        South Carolina     49
14. Mississippi State    42
15. Alabama                 15

2024 Volleyball Preseason All-SEC Team
Hannah Hogue, Arkansas, S
Madison Scheer, Auburn, OH
Sophie Fischer, Georgia, MB
Kennedy Martin, Florida, OH/RS
Alexis Stucky, Florida, S
Eleanor Beavin, Kentucky, L
Brooklyn DeLeye, Kentucky, OH
Emma Grome, Kentucky, S
Jurnee Robinson, LSU, OH
Sasha Ratliff, Ole Miss, MB
Jordan Iliff, Missouri, RS
Caroline Kerr, Tennessee, S
Emma Halter, Texas, L
Reagan Rutherford, Texas, OPP
Madisen Skinner, Texas, OH
Ella Swindle, Texas, S
Ifenna Cos Okpalla, Texas A&M, MB
Logan Lednicky, Texas A&M, OP