FRISCO, Texas – HCU senior middle blocker
Audrey Pearce picked up preseason first team all-Southland Conference honors and the HCU volleyball team was picked to finish fifth out of 12 teams in the league's preseason poll announced by the conference office on Thursday morning.
Pearce, a three-time second team all-conference selection, finished last season second in the league with 1.12 blocks per set and led the Huskies with 128 total blocks. She also averaged 2.57 kills per set with a .263 hitting percentage.
Through three seasons, Pearce already ranks seventh in program history with 350 career blocks and her 1.13 blocks per set for her career is sixth-best all-time at HCU.
In preseason voting by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors, HCU received a pair of first place votes and were picked fifth in the preseason poll. Stephen F. Austin was picked first with 233 total points and 17 first place votes followed by UT Rio Grande Valley, receiving three first place votes and 212 points, Southeastern and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
The Huskies host Sam Houston in a free exhibition this Saturday, Aug. 24, at 3:00 p.m. before beginning the regular season across town at Tudor Fieldhouse in the Rice Invitational on Friday, Aug. 30. HCU will face Texas State at 10:00 a.m. on Friday before taking on the Owls at 7:00 p.m. that evening. The Huskies will then face Texas Southern at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31.
