Texas A&M junior outside hitter Hollann Hans (pronounced Haulin’ Hands) has been named to the nine-member Volleyball Preseason All-SEC Team, and the Aggies are picked to finish eighth in the Southeastern Conference standings according to the SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, released today by the conference office.
Hans, from Corpus Christi, Texas, is coming off an impressive sophomore campaign in which she led A&M and ranked in the top 10 in the SEC with 4.05 points and 3.39 kills per set, as well as 0.41 aces per set, which ranked fourth in the SEC and 41st in the nation. Hans, one of two Aggies to appear in all 88 sets in 2017, also led A&M in total kills (298), aces (36) and points (356.0) for the full season.
In conference matches only, Hans set an A&M SEC record and ranked third in the conference with 0.38 aces per set in 64 sets played. Her 24 total aces in conference matches also was a school SEC record. Furthermore, Hans led the Aggies with 243 total points and also averaged a team-leading 3.80 points per set, ranking eighth in the SEC.
Hans is joined on the SEC preseason team by Rachael Kramer (Florida); T’ara Ceasar (Georgia); Leah Edmond, Madison Lilley and Avery Skinner from Kentucky; Taylor Bannister (LSU); Alyssa Munlyn (Missouri); and Mikayla Shields (South Carolina).
Kentucky, a 2017 SEC Co-Champion, is the top choice to win the 2018 team title according to the preseason poll. The Wildcats, who finished 29-4 overall and 17-1 in the SEC last season, received eight of the 13 first-place votes and 140 total points. Florida, the 2017 NCAA runner-up, garnered five first-place votes after finishing 30-2 overall and tying Kentucky for the league title with a 17-1 record.
The Gators finished a close second in the preseason poll with 137 points, while Missouri took third place with 116 points. Georgia and LSU tied for fourth place with 105 points each, while Auburn took sixth with 78 points. Arkansas received 71 points to finish seventh, followed by Texas A&M (65 points), South Carolina (62) and Tennessee, which finished 10th with 54 points. Ole Miss (40), Alabama (29) and Mississippi State (12) round out the poll.
The Aggies, who finished ninth in the SEC last season, are under the direction of first-year head coach Laura “Bird” Kuhn. The team officially reports to campus August 7 and begins preseason training on August 8.
The 2018 SEC volleyball season begins Friday, August 24, and conference play is set to start on Wednesday, September 19.
