The Piedmont women’s volleyball team is ready for another top-three finish in USA South play, after being selected to finish third in the West Division in the 2018 USA South preseason coaches’ poll.

Jamie McCormack enters her third season as the Lady Lions’ head coach, and looks to guide her team to another top-three finish in the division. McCormack is 34-23 over the past two years at Piedmont, and looks to keep it rolling with plenty of new faces this season.

Only seven players return from last year’s 16-11 team, as the team’s only two seniors, Kylie Blanton and Kaitlyn Loesel, look to provide mentorship to the incoming players. The Lady Lions have brought in seven new players for the upcoming season, including four freshmen. Piedmont also recently hired Rachel Selmore as Assistant Volleyball Coach.

Coach Selmore previously coached at the University of Mount Union, a fellow Division III school and member of the Ohio Athletic Conference. At Mount Union, Selmore was a special adviser to freshmen, and helped them with their transition into college athletics.

Danielle Percival, Director of Athletic Communications at Piedmont, spoke with both Coach Selmore and Coach McCormack about the addition to the Lady Lion volleyball staff.

“I am extremely excited to be a Piedmont Lion and I know I will learn so much from Coach McCormack with her wealth of knowledge in volleyball,” Coach Selmore said. “I am ready to start this amazing journey and have a great season.”

While Coach Selmore is excited to learn from Coach McCormack, Coach McCormack is equally excited with how well Coach Selmore fits into the Lady Lions’ program.

“I believe we have found a gem,” Coach McCormack said. “Not only is she a perfect fit for our team’s current needs, she has played and coached at a high level and brings a wealth of knowledge to the Piedmont family. I am beyond thrilled to have her.”

The Lady Lions begin their 2018 season this weekend as they travel to Greensboro, N.C. to play three non-conference matches over the span of two days. Piedmont will face Bob Jones University on Friday, then play Greensboro College and Piedmont International University on Saturday.