By: Mark Wasik
Follow KSU Volleyball - Twitter | Instagram
KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State's
Manu Johnsen has been selected to the ASUN Volleyball Preseason All-Conference team, while the Owls have been picked to finish third in the preseason coaches' poll, the league office announced on Friday.
Johnson, the ASUN 2022 Freshman of the Year, was also a second-team All-ASUN selection in her first year of collegiate play. The Copenhagen, Denmark native ranked in the top 10 in the conference in several categories in 2022 while leading the Owls to the conference tournament semifinals and a top-60 national finish. She paced KSU in kills as a freshman with 263 and was ranked eighth in the conference as well. Johnsen is the sole underclassman on the seven-member preseason squad.
KSU received 116 votes including one first-place votes in the poll. The Owls were picked to finish behind 2022 ASUN Tournament champion FGCU with 135 votes, while Lipscomb was second with 123. Five total teams would receive at least one first-place vote each in this year's poll. The top eight teams in the ASUN will advance to the league's postseason tournament, hosted this year in Fort Myers, Fla., on the campus of FGCU.
The Owls will begin the 2023 season on the road on back-to-back weekends, starting with the Bobcat Classic at Montana State on Aug. 25-26 in Bozeman. The Owls will open the tournament with a 12 pm contest on Aug. 25 against North Dakota. KSU's first home match will be on Friday, Sept. 8 against Wake Forest at 7 p.m. in the Convocation Center.
2023 ASUN Preseason Volleyball Coaches' Poll
Place Team (1st place votes) Votes
1. FGCU (7) 135
2. Lipscomb (2) 123
3. Kennesaw State (1) 116
4. Central Arkansas 109
5. North Florida (1) 98
6. Eastern Kentucky 71
7. Austin Peay (1) 66
8. Stetson 63
9. Jacksonville 60
10. North Alabama 46
11. Bellarmine 35
12. Queens 14
2023 Preseason All-ASUN Team
Juliana Lentz, Sr., MB, FGCU
Lily Tessier, Gr., S, FGCU
Manu Johnsen, So., OH, Kennesaw State
Meg Mersman, Sr., MB, Lipscomb
Caroline Stogner, Sr., OH, Lipscomb
Mahalia White, Gr., OH, North Florida
Rocio Moro, Sr., L/DS, North Florida
