BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Alcorn State Braves volleyball team has been predicted to finish 11th in the 2022 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Preseason Order of Finish, announced Thursday from the league office in Birmingham, Alabama. The preseason poll was voted on by the league's head coaches and communications directors.
 
Florida A&M was picked to finish first in the league while tallying a league-leading 13 first-place votes.
 
Alcorn State finished the 2021 season with an overall record of 4-24, while posting a SWAC record of 3-13 in the fall. The Braves finished the fall 2021 SWAC season 11th in the final league standings.
 
Volleyball continued improvement under third-year head coach Melissa Robinson off the heels of playing in the spring of 2021, stemming from the COVID-rearranged SWAC schedule from the traditional fall season of 2020.
 
While Alcorn began the season slowly playing against stiff competition that would only help when entering conference play, Robinson's team took part in three tournaments to begin the campaign, traveling to compete in each of the UNO Tournament (hosted by the University of New Orleans), the Belmont/Middle Tennessee Invitational and the Georgia State Tournament, respectively.
 
The Braves earned their first SWAC win of the campaign courtesy a 3-0 decision at home to Prairie View A&M in closing out the month of September, as well as finishing the month of October with back-to-back league triumphs against instate foe Mississippi Valley State and Alabama A&M at the second SWAC Cluster of the year. Outside hitter/right side Mikenzie Young-Mullins finished the fall season ranked third in the SWAC for kills (2.99 kills/set) and points (3.40 points/set). Meanwhile, setter Maya Detwiler placed herself third in the league for assists (6.98 assists/set).
 
Leading into the 2022 campaign, Young-Mullins was named to the Preseason All-SWAC Second Team for Alcorn.
 
Jackson State was selected to finish second in this season's predicted order of finish, followed by Alabama State, Prairie View A&M, and Southern to round out the top five preseason selections.
 
Alcorn begins the 2022 season traveling to the Bash in the Boro Tournament hosted by Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Georgia. The Braves will be joined in the field by USC Upstate and Stetson, in addition to the host Eagles of GSU, with the tournament scheduled for the weekend of August 26-27.
 
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