ATLANTA, Ga. – Benedict College junior outside hitter Cana Smith and junior middle blocker Kaiah Green have been named to the 2022 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) preseason All-Conference women's volleyball team.
 
Smith, who was named to the 2021 SIAC All-Conference second team, was named to the preseason first team. Smith averaged 3.02 kills per set last season with a hitting percentage of .172.
 
Green, a junior, was named to the preseason second team. Last year, Green ranked among the SIAC's leaders in blocks per game, averaging 0.82 blocks per set.
 
Benedict was picked to finish third in the SIAC East Division. Albany State was picked to finish first, with Edward Waters the pick to finish second.
 
All votes are submitted by SIAC head volleyball coaches and sports information directors.
 
Spring Hill middle blocker Kassandra Fairly collected her third Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Preseason Offensive Player of the Year honor alongside her teammate, Mikayla Boyer, who was selected as Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Spring Hill led the preseason All-Conference team with six selections.
 
Spring Hill led all member institutions with six total preseason selections, followed by Benedict with two. Albany State, Clark Atlanta, Central State, Edward Waters, Tuskegee, and Savannah State each had one selection.
 
Spring Hill was picked to finish first in the SIAC West Division.
 
2022 Volleyball Preseason Ranking (by Division)
East Division
1.         Albany State
2.         Edward Waters
3.         Benedict
4.         Clark Atlanta
5.         Savannah State
6.         Fort Valley State
7.         Allen
 
West Division
1.         Spring Hill
2.         Central State
3.         Kentucky State
4.         Lane
5.         Tuskegee
6.         LeMoyne-Owen
7.         Miles
 
A complete listing of the 2022 Preseason All-SIAC Teams and individual award winners can be found below.
 
2022 SIAC Women's Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team
 
Superlative Awards

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year	Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Kassandra Fairly, Spring Hill	Mikayla Boyer, Spring Hill

 
 
Women's Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team

First Team
Emily Weinzapfel	Outside Hitter	R-Junior	Spring Hill	Evansville, Ind.
Sydney Melton	Outside Hitter	Sophomore	Albany State	Hoover, Ala.
Cana Smith	Outside Hitter	Junior	Benedict	Houston, Texas
Kassandra Fairly	Middle Hitter	R-Senior	Spring Hill	Ft. Walton Beach, Fla.
Kia Thomas	Middle Hitter	Graduate Student	Clark Atlanta	Jonesboro, Ga.
Taylor Fontenelle	Libero	R-Senior	Spring Hill	Spanish Fort, Ala.
Kayla Adams	Setter	Junior	Central State	Auburn Hills, MI

 

Second Team
Saldy Amparo Smith	Outside Hitter	Sophomore	Edward Waters	Santo Domingo, DR
Erin Jackson	Outside Hitter	Junior	Tuskegee	Marietta, Ga.
Mikayla Boyer	Outside Hitter	R-Junior	Spring Hill	Covington, La.
Airyonna Weaver	Middle Hitter	Sophomore	Spring Hill	Mobile, Ala.
Kaiah Green	Middle Hitter	Junior	Benedict	Albuquerque, NM
Kloe Ludy	Libero	Sophomore	Savannah State	Lafayette, Ga.
Jessica Fairly	Setter	R-Sophomore	Spring Hill	Ft. Walton Beach, Fla.