University of Connecticut Athletics
Parker named to preseason All-Conference Team
8/22/2019 1:00:00โฏPM | Women's Volleyball
American announces preseason poll
PROVIDENCE, R.I.โThe American Athletic Conference has announced the 2019 preseason poll, in which the UConn volleyball team has been picked to finished 11th overall. Sophomore Caylee Parker represents the Huskies on the preseason All-Conference team.
The league wide poll is voted on by the head coaches, where the reigning league champions UCF were picked to repeat in 2019. The Knights earned eight first-place votes and 118 points overall with Cincinnati (4) and Tulane close behind at 114 and 99, respectively.
UConn garnered 32 points, positioned between Houston (34) at 10th and Memphis (23) in 12th. The Huskies concluded the 2018 taking two of their final three home matches, with 3-0 finishes versus Tulsa and Wichita State. At 15-16 overall and 7-11 in conference play, UConn clinched the eighth spot in the AAC.ย
After breaking records and finishing in the upper echelon in the conference in only her freshman season, Parker was selected to the All-Conference team going into her sophomore season. The 5-11 outside hitter finished the 2018 season with 14 double-doubles and a First Team All-Conference postseason selection by the AAC. The three-time conference weekly honor roll member capped the season off with 34 assists, 21 service aces, 283 digs, four solo blocks, 39 block assists, 43 total blocks, 478.5 points, while playing in 109 sets and 30 total matches. Parker is also in the record books at eighth overall for her 434 kills in a single season.
Rounding out this year's poll is Tulsa (81) and SMU (77). The AAC has instituted the very first volleyball championship, where the top-6 teams in the conference will battle in the AAC Conference Tournament. The weekend tournament will begin Friday, November 22nd with the teams competing not only for the conference title but the automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. Previously, the conference awarded an outright regular season champion.
In her first year at the helm, head coach Ellen Herman-Kimball is no stranger to the team nor the conference having been a longtime assistant to previous head coach Kris Grunwald.
"We are extremely proud of Caylee and all the hard work she puts in everyday, not only to make herself better but also her teammates better! She has already accomplished a lot in her short career thus far and we are excited to see how she contributes this upcoming season!"
The Huskies open the season with by hosting an exhibition versus the Rams of the University of Rhode Island in Gampel Pavilion on Saturday, August 24th. The exhibition is free and open to the public, the start time is slated for 1:00 p.m.
2019 American Volleyball Preseason Poll
| Team | First-place votes | Points |
| 1. UCF | 8 | 118 |
| 2. Cincinnati | 4 | 114 |
| 3. Tulane | 99 | |
| 4. Tulsa | 81 | |
| 5. SMU | 77 | |
| 6. USF | 66 | |
| 7. Wichita State | 65 | |
| 8. Temple | 44 | |
| 9. ECU | 39 | |
| 10. Houston | 34 | |
| 11. UConn | 32 | |
| 12. Memphis | 23 |
2019 Preseason All-Conference Team
McKenna Melville, UCF*
Kristina Fisher, UCF
Anne-Marie Watson, UCF
Jordan Thompson, Cincinnati* | (Also selected as preseason player of the year)
Maria Mallon, Cincinnati,ย
Caylee Parker, UConn
Shelby Martin, ECU
Hannah Flowers, Memphis
Jac'cara Walker, USF
Hannah Jacobs, SMU
Montana Watts, SMU
Lexie Douglas, Tulaneย
Erika Hansel, Tulane*
Taylor Horsfall, Tulsa
* - denotes unanimous selectionย
