NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference women’s volleyball head coaches have voted James Madison as the favorite in the East Division and Texas State as the favorite in the West Division in the 2024 Preseason Coaches Poll, as the league also announced its preseason all-conference teams and individual honors.
Coastal Carolina sophomore setter Jalyn Stout collected Sun Belt Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year honors after she recorded an NCAA-record 14 triple-doubles while nearly averaging a triple-double with 365 kills, 506 assists, and 319 digs in 32 matches during her freshman campaign. She recorded 411.5 points, 35 blocks, and 28 service aces. As a freshman, the setter recorded a career-high 25 kills in the opening weekend versus Charlotte, where she was named to the all-tournament team. Stout tallied double-digit kills 24 times, assists 29 times, and digs 20 times, and missed recording a triple-double in three other matches by just one stat. The Gainesville, Fla., native was named to the Sun Belt Conference All-Tournament team and the tournament's Most Outstanding Player in guiding the Chanticleers to the tournament title. Stout was named the 2023 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year, to the 2023 All-Sun Belt First Team, and AVCA Southeast All-Region Honorable Mention.
Texas State junior middle blocker Jade Defraeye was named the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year as the reigning Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year and was an All-Sun Belt Second Team member. She played in every single game for the Bobcats seeing 109 sets played throughout the 2023 season, while tallying 124 kills on 282 attempts for a .294 attack percentage, the best of any Bobcat. Her defensive contributions included 133 total blocks. During conference play, she averaged 1.36 blocks per set, which was the most of any player in the league. She led Texas State to a league-leading opponent hitting percentage of .146. Defraeye finished the year ranked nationally in total blocks and blocks per set and had 15 games last season where she tallied five or more blocks in a single match.
Louisiana senior libero Mio Yamamoto was named the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Libero of the Year as the reigning SBC Libero of the Year. Last season, she earned All-Sun Belt First Team honors and finished as the SBC leader in total digs in conference matches. She was also the only player named SBC Defensive Player of the Week twice (Oct. 10, Oct. 31). Yamamoto performed well in league action with 296 of her regular season total 457 digs (65 percent). She averaged 4.0-plus digs per set each of the final seven conference series and closed the regular season with a string of 14 consecutive matches with double figures in digs, hitting the 20-dig mark seven times. She also strung together an impressive October-long performance that included six 20-plus dig efforts out of the eight matches played.
Troy junior setter Janelle Stuempfig collected Sun Belt Conference Preseason Setter of the Year honors after being named to the 2023 All-Sun Belt Secdon Team. She earned three Sun Belt Setter of the Week honors last season after playing in 28 matches and 105 sets. She finished the season with 1,084 assists, which was fourth-best in the Sun Belt and ranked her 64th nationally. Her 10.32 assists per set ranked second in the conference and 42nd in the country. She posted a career-high of 63 assists in Troy’s match against Southern Miss last season and recorded at least 22 assists in every match she appeared in. She tallied 73 kills, averaging .70 per set, and had 18 aces on the season. She had four double-doubles last season made up of assists and digs. Defensviley, she had 43 blocks on the season, averaging .41 per set, and 202 digs – second on the team. In total, she finished the season with 113.5 points.
Texas State led the way with four Preseason All-Sun Belt Team selections, respectively, as Troy compiled two picks.
In the East Division, James Madison narrowly edged out the 2023 Regular Season and Tournament Champions in Coastal Carolina by two points. The Dukes received eight first place votes, while the Chanticleers totaled six. In the West Division, Texas State defended its number one seed honor from last season with all 14 first place votes.
The 2024 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Volleyball Championship will take place November 21-24 in Foley, Ala. at the Foley Sports Tourism Complex.
2024 Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Preseason Awards
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year:
Jalyn Stout, Coastal Carolina (S, So., Gainesville, Fla.)
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year:
Jade Defraeye, Texas State (MB, Jr., Dunkirk, France)
Preseason Setter of the Year:
Janelle Stuempfig, Troy (S, Jr., Sussex, Wisc.)
Preseason Libero of the Year:
Mio Yamamoto, Louisiana (L, Sr., Chigasaki, Japan)
Preseason All-Sun Belt
Maya Winterhoff, App State (MB, Jr., Charlottesville, Va.)
Jalyn Stout, Coastal Carolina (S, So., Gainesville, Fla.)
Miëtte Veldman, James Madison (OH, Gr., Daleville, Va.)
Reagan Barth, Georgia Southern (OH, So., Lenexa, Kan.)
Mio Yamamoto, Louisiana (L, Sr., Chigasaki, Japan)
Myah Conway, Old Dominion (RS, Sr., Orwigsburg, Pa.)
Jade Defraeye, Texas State (MB, Jr., Dunkirk, France)
Alyssa Ortega, Texas State (L, Sr., San Antonio, Texas)
Ryann Torres, Texas State (S, Fifth Year, Buda, Texas)
Samantha Wunsch, Texas State (OH, R-So., Austin, Texas)
Tori Hester, Troy (OH, Sr., Salisbury, N.C.)
Janelle Stuempfig, Troy (S, Jr., Sussex, Wisc.)
2024 Sun Belt Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
East Division
1.James Madison – 90 (8)
2.Coastal Carolina – 88 (6)
3.Georgia Southern – 74
4.Old Dominion – 48
5.App State – 45
6.Marshall – 31
7.Georgia State – 16
West Division
1.Texas State – 98 (14)
2.Troy – 80
3.South Alabama – 71
4.Louisiana – 57
5.Southern Miss – 37
6.Arkansas State – 35
7.ULM – 14