SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Citadel Volleyball team has been voted the preseason favorite in the 2024 Southern Conference Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll, as announced by the conference office on Wednesday afternoon. Senior
Ali Ruffin and
Belle Hogan were selected to the Preseason All-SoCon Team.
For the first time in program history, The Citadel Volleyball team has been tabbed as the favorite to win the league. The Bulldogs earned four first-place votes.
"It's nice that the SOCON coaches picked us; it shows how much our program has grown.
That being said, 16 games are a lot, and that level of consistency every match isn't tough," Zelenock said. "We have a lot of great teams this year, and I expect the road ahead for us will be tough."
The reigning Southern Conference Player of the Year,
Ali Ruffin, repeats on the preseason All-SoCon team after a historical junior campaign. This is the third straight year Ruffin has been selected. Ruffin recorded a single-season program record of 529 kills, averaging 4.52 kills per set. She posted 12 20-kill matches and 20 double-doubles on the season. She finished ranked 12th in the NCAA in total kills.
Belle Hogan joins the preseason All-SoCon team for the first time in her career after a record-breaking junior year. The returning Setter of the Year finished the season with a program record of 1,265 assists. She tied her career-high with 60 assists against Mercer and posted seven 50-assist matches. She finished the season seventh in the NCAA with 10.73 assists per set and is the active career leader in the SoCon with 3,093 assists.
The Bulldogs open their season at the Crimson Tide Invitational on Aug 30.
2024 Southern Conference Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
| 1. The Citadel (4) |
58 |
| 2. Samford (1) |
53 |
| 3. Mercer (1) |
47 |
| 4. Furman (1) |
43 |
| 5. Wofford (1) |
36 |
| 6. ETSU (1) |
30 |
| 7. Chattanooga |
27 |
| 8. Western Carolina |
21 |
| 9. UNCG |
9 |
() denotes first-place votes
2024 Southern Conference Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team
Belle Hogan, The Citadel, Sr., S
Ali Ruffin, The Citadel, Sr., OH
Jenna Forster, ETSU, Gr., RS
Mary Beth Headley, Furman, Gr., OH
Skyler Bumpers, Mercer, Sr., MB
Gracie Lynn Butler, Samford, Sr., OH
Kaleigh Meritt, Samford, R-So., OH
Paige Gallentine, Chattanooga, Sr., LIB
