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The two-time defending Conference Carolinas champions Mount Olive is projected to make it a three-peat this upcoming season.
Mount Olive received five of six first-place votes to finish atop the Conference Carolinas Preseason Coaches Poll that was released Friday.
Mount Olive has five starters from last year returning for the upcoming season, including all-conference outside attackers Angel Dache and Adam Miracle. The Trojans went 7-1 in conference play last season.
Lees-McRae finished the conference preason poll in second place with 19 points — six fewer points than Mount Olive.
King was the only school besides Mount Olive to earn a first-place vote and was projected to end the regular season in third place.
Limestone and Pfeiffer round-out the top five of the preseason poll.
Barton received five points to finish the preseason poll in last palce. The Bulldogs are entering their inaugural season and are the conference’s sixth men’s volleyball member — the minimum amount of teams needed to receive an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
The Conference Carolinas in 2009 became the first conference in the nation to sponsor men’s volleyball. The Division II conference is considered an emerging conference for men’s volleyball and will become eligible for a NCAA Tournament berth in 2014.
CONFERENCE CAROLINAS PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Mount Olive — 25 (5) points
2. Lees-McRae — 19 points
3. King — 17 (1) points
4. Limestone — 14 points
5. Pfeiffer– 10 points
6. Barton — 5 points