Special to GC
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The defending SEC Champion Florida Gators have been picked by a vote of the league's head coaches as the preseason favorite for 2015, announced by the conference office Thursday afternoon. Three Gator All-Americans in Rhamat Alhassan, Mackenzie Dagostino and Alex Holston were also named to the nine player Preseason All-SEC Team. Florida, announced as the AVCA Preseason No. 4 team in the top-25 poll Wednesday<http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=31065>, received 12 of the 13 first-place votes for the third consecutive year in the SEC preseason poll. Alabama finished second in the poll with 127 points, while Kentucky was third place with 120 points. Texas A&M (113 points) and Arkansas (88 points) rounded out the top five. Last season, Florida (28-4) notched its 13th undefeated SEC campaign to pick up the program's 21st SEC Championship -- all under head coach Mary Wise. The Gators' three players on the All-SEC preseason team are the most of any conference institution and represent UF's first (Holston), second (Alhassan) and third team (Dagostino) All-Americans from 2014. Holston was the 2014 SEC Player of the Year, Alhassan the SEC Freshman of the Year. The 2015 SEC volleyball season will begin on Friday, August 28, and conference play is set to start on Wednesday, September 23. Florida gets the 2015 volleyball campaign under way August 29 at JMU<http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=30563>. Gator volleyball season tickets, Gold & Platinum Cards are on sale now<http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=30648>. FLORIDA PRESEASON ALL-SEC PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS Rhamat Alhassan * Started all 32 matches her freshman season and made a splash as the SEC and AVCA Southeast Region Freshman of the Year * Won gold with the USA Volleyball Junior National Team at the 2015 European Global Challenge this summer * Paced the country in hitting efficiency her freshman season (.458) to give the Gators the nation's leading hitting efficiency leader each of the last three years * 2014 AVCA All-America Second Team & AVCA Southeast Region First Team * 2014 All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman * Led Florida in blocks in 30 of 32 matches * Five-time SEC Offensive/Freshman Player of the Week * Sept. 16 AVCA Division I National Player of the Week Mackenzie Dagostino * 2014 AVCA All-America Third Team * 2014 All-SEC and AVCA Southeast Region selection * Finished the season 13th in the NCAA with 11.50 assists/s and 23rd in the nation with 0.41 aces/s * Notched five double-doubles this season, including UF's upset against No. 3 Texas Nov. 29 in the regular-season finale and against Illinois in the NCAA Regional Semifinal * Led the SEC in service aces overall (0.41/s) and in SEC play (0.46/s)) and ranked second in assists per set both overall (11.50/s) and in league play (11.63/s) * Nov. 24 SEC Player of the Week * Played with the U.S.A. Volleyball Collegiate National Team for the China Tour this summer Alex Holston * 2014 AVCA All-America First Team & 2013 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention * 2014 SEC Player of the Year * 2014 AVCA Southeast Region Team & 2013 AVCA All-SEC, All-Freshman & All-Region honors * All-SEC selection (UFs 12th SEC POY) * Had a career-best 29 kills and 32 points - third most in a single match in school history - in UF's upset at No. 3 Texas * Turned in 12 double-digit kill performances in UF's last 13 games * Notched her first career double-double at Georgia (12K, 11D) * Three-time SEC Offensive Player of the Week * Ranked fourth in the SEC in both points (4.46/s) and kills (3.83/s) * Played all 114 sets for UF in 2014 * Won silver on the USA Volleyball Collegiate National Team for the 2014 European Tour * Played on the 2015 USA Volleyball Collegiate National Team at the World University Games in South Korea PRESEASON COACHES' POLL | (First-Place Votes in Parentheses) Place School Points 1. Florida (12) 144 2. Alabama (1) 127 3. Kentucky 120 4. Texas A&M 113 5. Arkansas 88 6. LSU 85 7. Missouri 84 8. Ole Miss 76 9. Auburn 59 10. Georgia 47 11. South Carolina 30 12. Mississippi State 21 13. Tennessee 20 VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON ALL-SEC TEAM Name, School Pos. Yr. Ht. Hometown Krystal Rivers, Alabama OPP R-Jr. 5-11 Birmingham, Ala. Chanell Clark-Bibbs, Arkansas MB Jr. 6-1 Houston, Texas Rhamat Alhassan, Florida MB So. 6-4 Glenarden, Md. Mackenzie Dagostino, Florida S Sr. 5-10 Tampa, Fla. Alex Holston, Florida RS Jr. 6-1 Olney, Md. Morgan Bergren, Kentucky S Jr. 6-1 Muncie, Ind. Nakeyta Clair, Ole Miss MB Sr. 6-1 Country Club Hills, Ill. Carly Kan, Missouri OH Jr. 5-9 Honolulu, Hawaii Shelby Sullivan, Texas A&M MB Sr. 6-2 Richardson, Texas