Howell, Karle Honored by SoCon
8/18/2021 5:22:00 PM | Volleyball
Bears selected for second-place finish.
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Middle hitter Jaida Howell and outside hitter Annie Karle were selected to the Preseason All-SoCon Volleyball team, while Mercer was chosen by the league's coaches to finish second.
Samford received six first-place votes and 62 points to claim the preseason honor, but the Bears were picked to finish second with three first-place votes and a total of 58 points. Wofford tallied 46 points in third, while Western Carolina was slotted fourth with 41 points. ETSU (35), Furman (30) and The Citadel (27) followed in fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively, while Chattanooga (17) finished eighth and UNCG (8) rounded out the poll in ninth.
Howell led Mercer with 90.0 blocks in the 2020-21 season, including a match-high of six on three separate occasions. The Ontario native posted a season-high 20 kills against The Citadel in the February 15th matchup.
Karle led the Bears with 285 kills along with Howell providing 223 in the 23-match 2020-21 season. In addition, Karle paced Mercer with 320.0 points and started in every match last campaign. The senior collected 32 kills in the two-match set versus Wofford. In the second matchup with the Terriers on March 8, Karle had eight kills in the straight-set victory.
Mercer saw much success during the 2020-21 season. For the first time in program history the Bears won a share of the regular season title, finishing with a 13-3 record in the conference. Head Coach Derek Schroeder was name Southern Conference Coach of the Year and the Bears saw three players earn All-SoCon honors –Karle (All-SoCon First Team), Howell (All-SoCon First Team), and Brittany Major (All-SoCon Second Team).
The Bears will open the season hosting the Mercer Bears Classic on August 27th. Mercer will welcome the Stetson Hatters for a match at 11 a.m.
2021 Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Samford (6)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 62
2. Mercer (3)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 58
3. Wofford           46
4. Western Carolina  41
5. ETSUÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 35
6. Furman                    30
7. The Citadel        27
8. Chattanooga      17
9. UNCGÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 8
Â
() denotes first-place votes
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2021 Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team
Sharlissa De Jesus, The Citadel, Sr., OH
Neci Harris, Furman, Sr., MB
Jaida Howell, Mercer, Jr., MH
Annie Karle, Mercer, Sr., OH
Lauren Deaton, Samford, Sr., OH
Kenya McQuirter, Samford, R-So., OH
Merry Gebel, Western Carolina, Sr., OH
Sarah Barham, Wofford, So., MB
FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of Mercer Volleyball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerBearsVB (Twitter), and @mercervolleyball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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Samford received six first-place votes and 62 points to claim the preseason honor, but the Bears were picked to finish second with three first-place votes and a total of 58 points. Wofford tallied 46 points in third, while Western Carolina was slotted fourth with 41 points. ETSU (35), Furman (30) and The Citadel (27) followed in fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively, while Chattanooga (17) finished eighth and UNCG (8) rounded out the poll in ninth.
Howell led Mercer with 90.0 blocks in the 2020-21 season, including a match-high of six on three separate occasions. The Ontario native posted a season-high 20 kills against The Citadel in the February 15th matchup.
Karle led the Bears with 285 kills along with Howell providing 223 in the 23-match 2020-21 season. In addition, Karle paced Mercer with 320.0 points and started in every match last campaign. The senior collected 32 kills in the two-match set versus Wofford. In the second matchup with the Terriers on March 8, Karle had eight kills in the straight-set victory.
Mercer saw much success during the 2020-21 season. For the first time in program history the Bears won a share of the regular season title, finishing with a 13-3 record in the conference. Head Coach Derek Schroeder was name Southern Conference Coach of the Year and the Bears saw three players earn All-SoCon honors –Karle (All-SoCon First Team), Howell (All-SoCon First Team), and Brittany Major (All-SoCon Second Team).
The Bears will open the season hosting the Mercer Bears Classic on August 27th. Mercer will welcome the Stetson Hatters for a match at 11 a.m.
2021 Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Samford (6)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 62
2. Mercer (3)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 58
3. Wofford           46
4. Western Carolina  41
5. ETSUÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 35
6. Furman                    30
7. The Citadel        27
8. Chattanooga      17
9. UNCGÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 8
Â
() denotes first-place votes
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2021 Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team
Sharlissa De Jesus, The Citadel, Sr., OH
Neci Harris, Furman, Sr., MB
Jaida Howell, Mercer, Jr., MH
Annie Karle, Mercer, Sr., OH
Lauren Deaton, Samford, Sr., OH
Kenya McQuirter, Samford, R-So., OH
Merry Gebel, Western Carolina, Sr., OH
Sarah Barham, Wofford, So., MB
FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of Mercer Volleyball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerBearsVB (Twitter), and @mercervolleyball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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