ROME, Ga. – One year removed from putting together the best single-season turnaround in USA South Conference history, the Salem volleyball team was picked to finish fifth in the 2023 USA South Conference Preseason Polls. The polls, released in a statement from the league office on Thursday, August 24th, were conducted by the leagues' head coaches.

The Spirits, who finished the 2022 season 21-10 and 12-6 in USA South Conference play, established the mark for most conference wins (11) and overall wins (20) from one season to another after posting just one victory in the 2021 campaign. The fifth-place prediction ties the 2019 unit for the second-best predicted finish, one off from the 2018 team that was picked fourth overall in the USA South East Division standings.

With 20 more overall wins than the previous season, Salem bested the 2010 Greensboro volleyball team's mark of 16 wins, for the best turnaround in league history. Salem became the 12th program in USA South Conference since 2001 to improve its win total by at least 10 wins. The 21-10 mark also resulted in the best win percentage (.677) for the Spirits in volleyball history.

The Spirits lost just two players from last season, Brooklyn Snow and Ashlee Peak, and will return six of eight starters along the way. Among the key contributors to the success in 2022 returning include seniors Valeria Rosa Lopez and Macy Nelson. The tandem of Lopez and Nelson will be joined by impact sophomores Aspen Bradley, Ella Brameus, Ashlyn Wood, Abrielle Eckenroth, McKenzie Tullock along with junior Anna Rymer.

Salem opens the 2023 regular season in Virginia Beach, Va., where the Spirits will take on the quartet of Southern Virginia, Thiel, Bridgewater and host Virginia Wesleyan on September 1-2. The Spirits wrap up preseason conditioning with a pair of scrimmages against Ferrum and Averett on August 26th at Averett.

Southern Virginia was picked to defend its championship from a year ago thanks to receiving 79 total points and seven of the possible ten first place votes. The Knights finished last season with a 17-1 regular season Conference record, claimed the regular season championship, and captured the USA South Tournament crown. William Peace, who fell to the Knights in the USA South Tournament final was second in the poll with 75 total points and the final three first place votes. Greensboro rounded out the top-three with 59 points.

Since the first Conference volleyball preseason poll in 2003, the team picked to capture the League title has done so 11 out of 18 years, including Southern Virginia last season. Conversely, the team picked second in the poll's history, has won the Conference championship six times. Finally, the team picked first in the preseason poll has reached the finals of the Conference tournament on 16 occasions.

The 2023 USA South Volleyball Tournament will once again be conducted exclusively on campus sites. The top-eight seeded teams will advance to the tournament which will begin with first round action on Tuesday, October 31. The semifinals will take place Thursday, November 2 with the finals occurring on Saturday, November 4. The higher-seeded team in each contest will host.