WICHITA, Kan. — Wichita State was picked second in the American Athletic Conference preseason poll announced Monday. Redshirt senior middle blocker Morgan Stout and fifth year senior Izzi Strand were both tabbed to the preseason all-conference team.

Rice snagged the top spot on the preseason poll, garnering eight first place votes and 136 total points. The Shockers earned four first place votes and 127 points; South Florida was the only other team to receive a first place vote.

After splitting the conference into East and West Divisions a year ago, the conference returns to a single division in 2024. With the departure of 2023 conference champion SMU to the ACC, The American now has 13 teams. The AAC has also brought back the postseason conference tournament, which will take place in Wichita from November 22-24. The winner of the conference tournament receives the AAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament field.

Stout and Strand both earned preseason accolades after strong 2023 campaigns. Stout was named Second Team All-American Athletic Conference, hitting .347 for the third-best percentage in the American Athletic Conference. The native of Fowler, Kansas averaged 2.42 kills per set, ranking third among middles in the AAC, and had 14 matches with double-digit kills. She was nearly unstoppable in the NIVC tournament, earning a spot on the All-Tournament team with 47 kills at a .438 hitting percentage. Defensively, Stout established a new career high with 120.0 total blocks, averaging 0.95 per set.

Strand was named Second Team All-American Athletic Conference and Honorable Mention All-Region North, the first Wichita State setter to earn All-Region honors since Emily Hiebert in 2017. She was at her best during the Shockers run to the NIVC championship, securing NIVC Most Valuable Player after averaging 11.2 assists per set over the course of WSU’s five matches. The transfer from UC San Diego started all 34 matches and played in all 128 sets, pacing the conference and ranking fifth nationally with 1,340 assists, the sixth-most in a single season in program history and third-most in the rally scoring era.

East Carolina junior outside hitter Angeles Alderete was named the AAC Preseason Player of the Year. Only Wichita State and South Florida had more than one player on the preseason all-conference team.

Wichita State is coming off a 26-8 season in 2023, including a 15-4 mark in conference play that was good for second place. The Shockers open the 2024 regular season at the Kennesaw State Invitational on Friday, August 30 against Kennesaw State.

2024 American Athletic Conference Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
(First-place votes in parentheses. Coaches could not vote for their own teams/players)

1. Rice (8) – 136
2. Wichita State (4) – 127
3. South Florida (1) – 121
4. East Carolina – 106
5. Florida Atlantic – 104
6. North Texas – 86
7. UTSA – 79
8. Temple – 57
9. Memphis – 56
10. Tulsa – 52
11. Charlotte – 36
12. Tulane – 30
13. UAB – 24

Preseason Player of the Year:
Angeles Alderete, Jr., OH, East Carolina

Preseason All-Conference Team:
Lara Kretchmer, Gr., MB, Charlotte
Angeles Alderete, Jr., OH, East Carolina*
Valeria Rosado, Sr., OH/RS, Florida Atlantic*
Aryn Johnson, Sr., OH, North Texas
Nia McCardell, 5th, L/DS, Rice
Maria Clara Andrade, Jr., OH, South Florida
Caroline Dykes, Sr., S, South Florida
Taylor Davenport, Gr., OH, Temple
Mia Sorensen, Jr., OPP, UTSA*
Avery Burks, So., OH, Tulane
Morgan Stout, R-Sr., MB, Wichita State*
Izzi Strand, 5th, S, Wichita State*
*denotes unanimous selection