FOREST, Va. --- ODAC volleyball completed the first spring season in league history just a few months ago. Teams are again gearing up for a new campaign, this time back in its traditional place during the fall months of the academic calendar. Defending champion Washington and Lee University headlines the 2021-22 ODAC Volleyball Preseason poll on the eve of the new season.

The Generals collected seven first place votes on the way to 113 total points. Randolph-Macon College and Virginia Wesleyan University sit tied for second with both receiving 106 points and a pair of first place considerations.

Just five points separate fourth from sixth with Bridgewater College holding fourth position with 85 points. The University of Lynchburg ranks third with 81 markers including the remaining first place vote, and Roanoke College follows just one tally back with 80 points.

The ODAC's ranks return to full sponsorship this fall with Hollins University returning to the fold after opting out of the 2021 spring season due the COVID pandemic. However, the contingent is one program light with Emory & Henry College pursuing new membership at the NCAA Division II level.

In the sections below, we look back to what we saw during the spring season and take a look at what to expect entering the new campaign. Be sure to check out the capsules at the bottom of this page for a more targeted view at each squad entering the fall.

2021 SPRING ODAC TOURNAMENT | BRACKET

• Washington and Lee completed the first ODAC spring season with an unblemished record (16-0, 11-0) on the way to the program's 17th ODAC volleyball, the most of any program in ODAC history.
• The Generals, seeded first in the tournament, did not lose a set in the three round tourney. They opened with a 3-0 win over #8 Eastern Mennonite in the quarterfinals and followed with a 3-0 triumph over #5 Bridgewater in the semifinals.
• Sixth-seeded Randolph-Macon joined Washington and Lee in the finals following a pair of wins on the road. The Yellow Jackets posted a 3-1 result at #3 Lynchburg in the quarterfinals and followed with a 3-0 victory over #2 Virginia Wesleyan in the semifinals. R-MC earned a berth to the title match for a sixth straight season.
• In the championship match, Washington and Lee hit .222 as a team with ODAC Player of the Year Brynne Gould and Leah Green posting 13 and 12 kills, respectively, on the way to a 3-0 win (25-22, 25-20, 25-16) over Randolph-Macon. 

RETURNING STATISTICAL LEADERS
The athletes listed below represent the top-three returning statistical leaders for each category from the 2021 spring season.
Kills/Set, Digs/Set, Blocks/Set, and Points/Set Minimums: 50% of team games played
Attack Pct. Minimums: 50% of team games played and 3.0 attacks/set

• Kills | 188 - Abbi Leeper, LYN; 168 - Linsey Bailey, RC; 156 - Paris Hutchinson, EMU
• Kills/Set | 4.10 - Linsey Bailey, RC; 3.68 - Jillian Warter, SU; 3.55 - Paris Hutchinson, EMU
• Attacks | 612 - Abbi Leeper, LYN; 476 - Linsey Bailey, RC; 425 - Nadia Scott, VWU
• Attack Pct. | .329 - Sydney Koch, R-MC; .292 - Katy Blain, W&L; .284 - Sydney Collins, VWU
• Assists | 517 - Ashley Webb, W&L; 428 - Grace Hayes, BC; 348 - Taylor Breeden, LYN
• Assists/Set | 9.57 - Ashley Webb, W&L; 8.56 - Grace Hayes, BC; 7.44 - Olivia Newman, RC
• Service Aces | 26 - Ashley Webb, W&L; 24 - Haley Sutton, VWU; 22 - Logan Pasley, RC
• Digs | 293 - Flinn Christian, LYN; 265 - Caroline Gard, W&L; 229 - Kennedy Clemmer, RC
• Digs/Set | 5.59 - Kennedy Clemmer, RC; 4.91 - Caroline Gard, W&L; 4.73 - Flinn Christian, LYN
• Total Blocks | 69 - Katy Blain, W&L; 43 - Lauren Nofsinger, BC; 40 - Sydney Collins, VWU
• Blocks/Set | 1.28 - Katy Blain, W&L; 1.00 - Lauren Nofsinger, BC; 0.93 - Sydney Collins, VWU
• Points Earned | 205.5 - Abbi Leeper, LYN; 184.5 - Linsey Bailey, RC; 181.5 - Paris Hutchinson, EMU
• Points/Set | 4.5 - Linsey Bailey, RC; 4.2 - Kate Poppo, SU; 4.1 - Paris Hutchinson, EMU

RETURNING ALL-ODAC TALENT | 2020-21 ALL-ODAC VOLLEYBALL AWARDS
The 2021 season features 20-of-24 All-ODAC honorees from the 2021 spring campaign. Below we take a look at those returning to league rosters.

   ALL-ODAC FIRST TEAM

• Linsey Bailey, OH, Roanoke
• Caroline Gard, L, Washington and Lee
• Grace Hayes, S, Bridgewater
• Sydney Koch, MB, Randolph-Macon
• Abbi Leeper, OH, Lynchburg

   ALL-ODAC SECOND TEAM

• Katy Blain, MB, Washington and Lee
• Flinn Christian, L, Lynchburg
• Kennedy Clemer, DS, Roanoke
• Emma Drake, RS, Lynchburg
• Paris Hutchinson, OPP, Eastern Mennonite (ROY)
• Grace Parker, OH, Randolph-Macon
• Kate Poppo, OH, Shenandoah
• Ashley Webb, S, Washington and Lee

   ALL-ODAC THIRD TEAM

• Sydney Collins, MB, Virginia Wesleyan
• Abigail Mahoney, RS, Virginia Wesleyan
• Lauren Nofsinger, MH, Bridgewater
• Nadia Scott, OH, Virginia Wesleyan
• Haley Sutton, S, Virginia Wesleyan
• Madison Warlick, OH, Randolph-Macon
• Jillian Warter, OH, Shenandoah

THE SCHEDULE AND TOURNAMENT

• The 12-team ODAC contingent will employ a full round-robin conference schedule in addition to each team's non-conference slate.
• The top-eight teams in the ODAC standings will qualify for the ODAC Tournament with the winner earning the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
• This year's ODAC Tournament will feature quarterfinal play at seeds 1-4 on Wednesday, November 3, followed by the semifinals on Friday, November 5, at the two highest remaining seeds. The ODAC championship will be played at the highest remaining seed on Sunday, November 7.
• The NCAA Tournament field will be selected on Monday, November 8, with regional round play set for Thursday-Sunday, November 11-14. The final eight teams will meet at Francis Fieldhouse in St. Louis, Mo., to determine the national champion on Thursday-Saturday, November 18-20.

For more information on ODAC volleyball, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.  Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter and Instagram.