Volleyball picked first in AAC; Wheeler Preseason POY

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From SMUMustangs.com:

Mustang Volleyball Picked To Finish First In AAC Preseason Poll; Wheeler Selected As Preseason Player Of The Year

IRVING, Texas (The American/SMU) – SMU was picked to win the American Athletic Conference in the 2023 Preseason Coaches Poll, league officials announced Monday. Junior outside hitter Jamison Wheeler was selected as the Preseason AAC Player of the Year. Graduate middle blocker Emma Clothier and senior setter Celia Cullen were also tabbed as Preseason All-Conference selections.

The Mustangs garnered the most points in the poll with 78 and picked up seven first-place votes, while Rice was second with 76 points and six first-place votes.

The Mustangs finished their 2022 campaign with a 22-10 overall record under. Selected fifth in the American Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, the Mustangs finished third with a 15-5 clip in league play.
Marieke van der Mark and Jamison Wheeler earned first-team All-AAC honors, and Celia Cullen claimed second-team accolades. It marked the first time since 2019 that two Mustangs garnered first-team honors. SMU collected the third most selections in the conference under head coach Sam Erger.

A 2022 First-Team All-AAC selection, Wheeler was selected as the conference's preseason player of the year after leading the Mustangs with 385 kills, averaging 3.41 kills per set last season. She totaled 1,051 attacks and 48 service aces, placing her second on the all-time single-season list in school history. Wheeler ranked second on the team with 292 digs and finished with 38 blocks.

Cullen made the 2023 Preseason All-Conference team after earning a team-high 1148 assists, averaging 10.16 assists per game last season. The senior tallied 253 digs and recorded 41 kills and 18 service aces. Cullen was a Second-Team All-Conference selection in 2022.

Clothier brings her talents to the Hilltop as a graduate transfer after a decorated career at Florida State. The Carrollton, Texas native was a four-time All-ACC and two-time All-American selection.
The 2023 American Athletic Conference regular season format includes 19 matches over 10 weeks with teams split into East and West divisions. The Mustangs will compete in the West division, playing two matches each against UNT, Rice, UTSA, Tulane, Tulsa and Wichita State. There will be one match with each opponent in the East Division: UAB, Charlotte, ECU, FAU, Memphis, South Florida and Temple.

The Mustangs' 11-match non-conference gauntlet features eight teams that made the NCAA Tournament in 2022, including three that won at least one tournament match and four who reached the Sweet 16. Five teams on the docket received votes or finished in the AVCA top-25 rankings.

Admission is free to all the matches. Check back to SMUMustangs.com and volleyball social pages for more information.

2023 AAC Preseason Coaches Poll

American Championship

SMU (7)
Rice (6)
West Division

SMU (7) 78
Rice (6) 76
Wichita State 59
North Texas 52
Tulsa 30
Tulane 24
UTSA 21
East Division

Memphis (6) 72
East Carolina (5) 70
Florida Atlantic (1) 4
T3. Temple 4
South Florida (1) 37
6. UAB 35
7. Charlotte 33
(#) denotes first place votes

Preseason Player of the Year

Jamison Wheeler, Jr., OH, SMU

Brylee Kelly, R-Sr., OH, Wichita State

Preseason All-Conference Team

Angeles Alderete, So., OH, East Carolina

Bailey Houlihan, Sr., L, Memphis

Sh'Diamond Holly, Sr., MB, North Texas

Aryn Johnson, Jr., OH, North Texas

Treyaunna Rush, Sr., OPP, North Texas

Nia McCardell, Sr., L/DS, Rice

Danyle Courtley, Sr., OH, Rice

Sahara Maruska, Sr., OH, Rice

Emilia Weske, Gr., RS, Rice

Emma Clothier, Gr., MB, SMU

Celia Cullen, Sr., S, SMU

Jamison Wheeler, Jr., OH, SMU*

Kayley, Cassaday, 5th, OH, Tulsa

Natalie Foster, Jr., MB/RS, Wichita State

Brylee Kelly, R-Sr., OH, Wichita State*

* denotes unanimous selection