HAMMOND, La. – The high expectations for the Southeastern Louisiana University volleyball team for the 2023 season continued to be showcased as the Southland Conference coaches picked the Lady Lions to finish second in the SLC this season while Kailin Newsome, Cicily Hidalgo, and Jacqueline Arrington were named Preseason All-Conference by the conference on Friday.
 
Southeastern picked up the same number of first place votes as the conference preseason favorite, Houston Christian, with eight, but fell just two points shy overall of tying the Huskies for the poll's top spot.
 
Also released were the preseason All-Conference teams, and three Lady Lions made the list. Newsome found a place on the First Team while Hidalgo and Arrington both made it onto the Second Team.
 
Newsome enters her senior season coming off one of the best individual seasons in SLU history. She looks to improve this year over a season where she had more than four kills per set and 33 service aces on her way to earning First Team All-Conference, AVCA All-South Region, and Louisiana Player of the Year honors.
 
Hidalgo enters her junior season looking to improve off a 2022 season where she battled through injury for a good part of the year and still earned Second Team All-Conference and Second Team All-Louisiana honors. She finished the year averaging 3.27 kills per set, had 15 service aces, nearly three digs per set, and 37 total blocks.
 
Arrington, a newcomer to the Lady Lions this season, is no stranger to the rigors of the Southland Conference, joining SLU for her senior season from Incarnate Word. A menace at the net, Arrington led the Cardinals in total blocks in each of the last two seasons and is coming off her best season swinging at the ball as she had a career high .266 attack percentage last year with UIW.
 
The Lady Lions kick off their 2023 campaign next weekend by hosting the Southeastern Showdown in the Pride Roofing University Center, a four-team round robin event featuring Washington, UTEP, and Grambling. SLU's opening day of the season starts with a 12:30 pm match against the Miners before closing out day one against at 6:30 pm against the Huskies where the Lady Lions will unveil their 2022 Conference Championship banner and will have a post-match autograph signing.
 
 
DIGGIN' IT CLUB / S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the Southeastern volleyball program are encouraged to join the Diggin' It Club. Lion volleyball alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
 
All membership fees and donations to both the Diggin' It Club and S Club (volleyball) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern volleyball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Lady Lions Volleyball, follow @LionUpVB or @JWhiteSLU on Twitter, @LionUpVB on Instagram, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.