Kansas Volleyball places 3 on Preseason All-Big 12 Team

Junior Kelsie Payne has been selected as the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, the first time ever that award has gone to a Kansas Jayhawk.

Senior Taylor Soucie and junior Ainise Havili joined Payne on the Preseason All-Conference team.

Last year, Payne was a key cog in KU's Final Four run.  Her postseason honors included first team All-American, first team All-Big 12, and NCAA All-Tournament team.

Havili was also a first team All-American last year.

It's the third year in a row that Soucie has been named in the preseason awards, and each of the past two years she has finished the season on the All-Big 12 First Team.

The Preseason All-Conference team names 15 players but doesn't delineate first, second, or third team.  (Why 15, I don't know).  Texas led the way with five; Kansas had the next-highest with three.  Iowa State and Oklahoma each had two.

With five returning starters, the Jayhawks look to make another run at a Final Four in 2016.  The Big 12 coaches poll is expected to be released on Thursday; it will be interesting to see if KU takes any first-place votes away from Texas.  Both squads are loaded and it should be a fun two-team race for control of the Big 12 this fall.