SIAC announces preseason volleyball honors

Staff Reports

ATLANTA — The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its 2026 preseason all-conference women’s volleyball teams, individual honors and predicted order of finish on Wednesday, featuring eight returning players from the 2025 All-SIAC lineup.

Preseason honors are as voted by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors.

FIRST TEAM
POSITION	NAME	SCHOOL	CLASS	HOMETOWN
Outside Hitter	Dakotah Holmes*	Fort Valley State	Jr.	Hampton, Ga.
Outside Hitter	Karea Copeland*	Miles	So.	Newnan, Ga.
Outside Hitter	Jarianis Perez*	Albany State	Sr.	Jacksonville, Fla.
Middle Blocker	Desire’ Young*	Benedict	Sr.	Aurora, Colo.
Middle Blocker	Laila Wheaton	Kentucky State	Jr.	McKinney, Texas
Libero	Ashlyn Whiteside*	Spring Hill	Sr.	Fairhope, Ala.
Setter	Amiyah Walker*	Savannah State	Jr.	Pleasant Grove, Ala.
– * RETURNING 2025 ALL-SIAC SELECTION

SECOND TEAM
POSITION	NAME	SCHOOL	CLASS	HOMETOWN
Outside Hitter	Claire Hayes*	Spring Hill	Sr.	Robertsdale, Ala.
Outside Hitter	Maya Hendricks*	Central State	Sr.	Columbus, Ohio
Outside Hitter	Mia Burgess	Benedict	So.	Columbia, S.C.
Middle Blocker	Saige Bradley	Allen	Sr.	Pottstown, Pa.
Middle Blocker	Angelic Carter	Benedict	Jr.	Biloxi, Miss.
Libero	Jasmine Brantley	Tuskegee	So.	Madison, Ala.
Setter	Autumn James	Edward Waters	Jr.	Gainesville, Fla.
– * RETURNING 2025 ALL-SIAC SELECTION

PRESEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
NAME	SCHOOL	CLASS	HOMETOWN
Karea Copeland	Miles	So.	Newnan, Ga.

PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
NAME	SCHOOL	CLASS	HOMETOWN
Ashlyn Whiteside	Spring Hill	Sr.	Fairhope, Ala.

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH

1. Spring Hill

2. Fort Valley State

3. Albany State

4. Benedict

5. Savannah State

6. Central State

7. Edward Waters

8. Miles

9. Kentucky State

10. Tuskegee

11. Allen

12. Clark Atlanta

13. Lane

14. LeMoyne-Owen