Kentucky Volleyball Picked to Win SEC; Four on Preseason Team
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky Volleyball team was picked by the Southeastern Conference head coaches to win the league title for a sixth year in a row, the SEC office announced Monday morning. Kentucky won 10 of 13 first-place votes with Florida receiving two and Tennessee garnering one.
Additionally, Kentucky placed a league-best four players on the All-SEC Preseason Team with 2021 SEC Libero of the Year Eleanor Beavin, SEC Freshman of the Year Emma Grome, Reagan Rutherford and All-American Azhani Tealer making the prestigious list.
Kentucky won the 2021 SEC Volleyball Championship by going 17-1 in league play to secure its fifth-straight conference title. The Wildcats bring back a core of returners and add to it transfers and a strong freshman class that is sure to make a big impact on the season.
The 2022 volleyball season will begin Friday, August 26 as Kentucky hosts Marquette at 7 p.m. ET in Memorial Coliseum. Conference play begins Sept. 24 with a contest against LSU. Television assignments for Kentucky games will be announced at a later date.
Kentucky Volleyball season tickets are on sale now at UKathletics.com.
Preseason Coaches’ Poll
(First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
| Place | School | Points |
| 1. | Kentucky (10) | 142 |
| 2. | Florida (2) | 132 |
| 3. | Tennessee (1) | 118 |
| 4. | Arkansas | 105 |
| 5. | Mississippi State | 103 |
| 6. | South Carolina | 75 |
| 7. | Ole Miss | 70 |
| 8. | LSU | 66 |
| 9. | Georgia | 63 |
| 10. | Texas A&M | 62 |
| 11. | Missouri | 31 |
| 12. | Auburn | 30 |
| 13. | Alabama | 17 |
Volleyball Preseason All-SEC Team
| Name, School | Pos. | Yr. | Ht. | Hometown |
| Jillian Gillen, Arkansas | OH | Sr. | 5-7 | Stilwell, Kan. |
| Merritt Beason, Florida | RS/OH | So. | 6-3 | Gardendale, Ala. |
| Bre Kelley, Florida | MB | So. | 6-4 | Rockwall, Texas |
| Eleanor Beavin, Kentucky | L | So. | 5-5 | Louisville, Ky. |
| Emma Grome, Kentucky | S | So. | 5-9 | Loveland, Ohio |
| Reagan Rutherford, Kentucky | OPP | Jr. | 6-0 | Missouri City, Texas |
| Azhani Tealer, Kentucky | MB | Sr. | 5-10 | Grand Prairie, Texas |
| Anita Anwusi, LSU | MB | Sr. | 6-3 | Houston, Texas |
| Sasha Ratliff, Ole Miss | MB | Jr. | 6-2 | Atlanta, Ga. |
| Gabby Waden, Mississippi State | MB/RS | Gr. | 5-10 | Columbia, S.C. |
| Anna Dixon, Missouri | OH | Sr. | 6-3 | Louisburg, Kan. |
| Jenna Hampton, South Carolina | DS/L | Gr. | 5-7 | Tampa, Fla. |
| Morgahn Fingall, Tennessee | RS | Sr. | 6-1 | Fairfax, Va. |
| Natalie Hayward, Tennessee | S | Sr. | 5-11 | Bothell, Wash. |
| Danielle Mahaffey, Tennessee | MB | Gr. | 6-1 | Cincinnati, Ohio |
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