Volleyball Tabbed Second in Preseason Poll
Erikka Sansom, Director of Athletic Communications
Greenville, Pa. – The Bethany College women's volleyball team has been selected to finish tied for second in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) preseason poll released Wednesday afternoon.
The Bison are led by 15th-year head coach and three-time PAC Coach of the Year (2009, 2016, 2018) Courtney Hilyer. The Green and White claimed one first-place vote and 73 points in this year's preseason coaches' poll, which was voted on by the conference's ten coaches.
Bethany returns a core group of returners that led the Bison to a 5-3 PAC conference record last season. Among the PAC Players to watch are seniors Jess Moore and Brooke Corley, along with junior Riley Felton and sophomores Lynn Burton and Emma Marthins.
Moore was an All-PAC First Team honoree last season. The outside hitter led the Bison with 112 kills, 132.0 points and 3.3 points per set. She registered double-digit kills in seven matches last season.
Corley leads the Bison in the backcourt as the Bison's libero. She finished the season with 186 digs, 14 assists and five service aces. The All-PAC Honorable mention, registered double-digit digs in 10-of-11 matches last season. She also recorded a career-high 29 digs versus Washington and Jefferson.
Felton was All-PAC Honorable Mention last season. She finished the season with 74 kills, 29 digs, 16 blocks (2 solo) and eight service aces.
Burton and Marthins bring experience to the Bison after stellar rookie seasons. The freshman pair each earned PAC Rookie of the Weeks honors last season. Marthins earned All-PAC Second Team honors while Burton earned All-PAC Honorable Mention honors.
Marthins led the Bison with 24 (10 solo) blocks last season. She finished the year with 76 kills. Burton led the Bison with 341 assists last season. She finished the season with 84 digs, 14 service aces, 10 kills and seven blocks. In the match against Franciscan she tallied 51 assists and hit 30+ assists six times throughout the season and 40+ four times.
The Bison open up the 2021 season at CWRU (Case Western Reserve) Tournament on September 3, against John Carroll at 5 pm.
| 2021 PAC Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll (Predicted order of finish) | ||
| School (first-place votes) | Points | 2020-21 record (PAC) |
| 1. Westminster College (8) | 89 | 10-1 (8-0) |
| T-2. Bethany College (1) | 73 | 5-5 (5-3) |
| T-2. Grove City College (1) | 73 | 7-5 (7-3) |
| 4. Washington & Jefferson College | 71 | 7-6 (5-4) |
| 5. Geneva College | 57 | 10-2 (6-1) |
| T-6. Saint Vincent College | 45 | 3-7 (2-7) |
| T-6. Thiel College | 45 | 2-9 (2-7) |
| 8. Chatham University | 41 | 5-5 (3-5) |
| 9. Franciscan University | 24 | 3-6 (3-6) |
| 10. Waynesburg University | 22 | 2-10 (2-6) |
