Trio of Roadrunners earn All-Southland Conference honors on Wednesday
FRISCO — Freshman outside hitter Whitney Walls was named to the six-member All-Southland Conference second team, while junior outside hitter Kendra Rowland and sophomore libero Kelsey Jewasko earned honorable mention accolades, the league office announced on Wednesday.
Walls has seen action in all 30 matches, including 23 starts, this season and leads the team with a .257 hitting percentage in addition to ranking second with 249 kills (2.2 kps) and third with 62 total blocks (1 solo/61 assists). The Arlington native had a career-high 20 winners at Sam Houston State on Oct. 28 and has been in double figures in seven other contests this fall.
A starter in all 30 matches this season, Rowland is UTSA's leader with 1,043 attacks, 313 kills (2.72 kps) and 15 double-doubles (second SLC). The Antioch, Calif., native also ranks second on the team with 332 digs (2.89 dps). She has recorded double-figure digs 19 times and slammed home 10 or more winners in 16 contests. Rowland is one of just two Roadrunners to see action in all 115 sets this fall.
Jewasko, who also has seen action in all 115 sets this year, leads the squad with 424 digs (3.69 dps) and ranks second with 23 service aces. The San Antonio native had a career-high 31 digs in the Birds' Sept. 8 five-set win against Cal State Bakersfield and she has been in double figures 24 times this season, including the last 19 outings. Her five aces against Weber State (Sept. 12) were a career high, as were her eight assists against Northwestern State on Oct. 22.
The sixth-seeded Roadrunners (12-18) open Southland Tournament play at 6:30 p.m. on Friday against No. 3 seed Stephen F. Austin (22-12).
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2009 All-Southland Conference Volleyball Teams
First Team
Ashley Bailey, Sr., MB, Stephen F. Austin
Amber Calhoun, So., MB, Texas State
Anna Ferguson, Sr., MB, Sam Houston State
Evaree Franklin, Sr., MB, Central Arkansas
Tara Frantz, So., OH, UT Arlington
Kaylee Hawkins, Fr., DS, Sam Houston State
Carli Kolbe, So., OH, Sam Houston State
Adrianne Meengs, Sr., S, Lamar
Emma Ridley, Jr., OH, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Chloe Smith, Jr., OH, Central Arkansas
Robyn Smith, Sr., S, Central Arkansas
Jessica Weynand, Sr., OH, Texas State
Second Team
Mary Caitlin Bottles, So., MB, Stephen F. Austin
Cristin Curl, So., DS, Central Arkansas
Wendy Krell, Fr., MB, Lamar
Mo Middleton, Jr., OH, Texas State
Emily Shearin, So., MB, UT Arlington
Whitney Walls, Fr., OH, UTSA
Honorable Mention: Lauren Holdorff, Lamar; Priscilla Massengale, McNeese State; Amy Whitehead, Nicholls; Yelena Enwere, Northwestern State; Michelle Miller, Sam Houston State; Alex Greer, Southeastern Louisiana; Madison Hanlan, Stephen F. Austin; Bianca Sauls, UT Arlington; Kelsey Jewasko, UTSA; Kendra Rowland, UTSA
Player of the Year: Chloe Smith, Central Arkansas
Libero of the Year: Cristin Curl, Central Arkansas
Setter of the Year: Robyn Smith, Central Arkansas
Freshman of the Year: Wendy Krell, Lamar
Newcomer of the Year: Emma Ridley, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Coach of the Year: Steven McRoberts, Central Arkansas
FRISCO, Texas – For the second consecutive year, the University of
Central Arkansas volleyball team seized four of the six major post
season awards given out by the Southland Conference, including three
repeat winners. Leading the way is junior Chloe Smith, who was named the
2009 Southland Conference Volleyball Player of the Year by a vote of the
league's head coaches and sports information directors.
Senior Robyn Smith was named Setter of the Year and head coach Steven
McRoberts was the Coach of the Year, both repeat selections. Sophomore
Cristin Curl became the program's fist Libero of the Year winner. Smith,
Smith and senior Evaree Franklin were named to the All-Southland first
team, while Curl was a second team selection. UCA led all schools with
four all-conference selections.
Chloe Smith, a native of San Diego, Calif., is the fourth player in
Southland history to be named league player of the year in two
consecutive seasons. Smith ranked third in overall kills (442) and led
the league in kills per set (4.46) and total attacks (1,121). Her .280
hitting percentage ranks ninth. She also collected a league-leading four
player of the week awards.
"Its great for Chloe to win player of the year two seasons in a row,"
said McRoberts. "She had a great year and was definitely our go to
hitter for the season. Coming off a MVP type season, a lot of teams
keyed on her and she still had a lot of success."
Robyn Smith received her second consecutive setter of the year award and
is the first Central Arkansas student-athlete named to three consecutive
first team all-conference volleyball teams. A native of Lubbock, Texas,
she is the first player in Southland history to lead the league in
assists (1,134) for three consecutive seasons.
"Robyn efinitely deserved to get setter of the year again," McRoberts
said. "I thought she was by far the best setter in the league this year.
It shows how well she ran the offense by our hitting percentage and the
number of kills and assists we got. She's a huge reason why we won the
conference title this year."
Curl, a native of Amarillo, Texas, lead the Southland in digs per set
(4.63) and ranked third overall (486).
"Cristin moved into libero this year and we felt like she did a good job
of extending rallies, and digging the ball to target so we could run our
offense," said McRoberts. "She was near the top of the league all year
long in digs per game. She was the primary passer for us and did a good
job in that role. As a conference the libero position was the most
competitive per team this year."
McRoberts is the only active league coach to receive two consecutive
coach of the year awards. McRoberts led Central Arkansas to its first
regular season league title in 2009 with an undefeated record in
conference play, the fourth league team to run the table since 1994. The
Sugar Bears also ended the season with a school record 18 sweeps. Every
season as a Southland member, Central Arkansas has qualified for the
conference tournament. However, because of its transition from NCAA
Division II to Division I, the Sugar Bears have been ineligible for
postseason play. They will be eligible in 2010.
"Getting coach of the year is a product of being 16-0," McRoberts said.
"I have the best staff of anyone in the conference. It's not just a
coach of the year award, it;s a team of the year award. I feel like all
of us are an integral part of that. No one coach wins the award by
themselves. I felt like we had a tremendous year and the reward is a
result of a lot of people's effort."
Franklin, a middle blocker, rounds out the UCA first team selections. A
native of Sweeny, Texas, Franklin led the UCA offense with a .350
hitting percentage ranking second in the league. She was also a dominant
defensive presence for the Sugar Bears with 67 digs and a team-leading
78 blocks including nine solo.
"I'm proud of the way Evaree finished her career," said McRoberts. "She
is deserving of being first team. She was the heart of the team and
blong in hitting. She made Chloe and other hitters much better. She was
definitely a leader for us."
McNeese Volleyball
McNeese State Freshman Priscilla Massengale Named To All-Southland Conference Team
FRISCO, Tx.-- McNeese State freshman outside hitter Priscilla Massengale has been named to the 2009 Southland Conference Volleyball Team as an honorable mention selection.
Massengale is a native of Baytown, Texas led the Cowgirls with 3.09 kills per set and was second on the team with 334 kills. Massengale ended her rookie season with 24 assists, 225 digs, 42 blocks and 22 service aces. She recorded 10 or more kills in 17 matches and recorded a career high 22 against Southeastern La. in the season finale.
UT Arlington Volleyball has Two Players Named All-Southland Conference
Frantz, Shearin Named All-Southland Conference
November 18, 2009
ARLINGTON, Texas – UT Arlington sophomores Tara Frantz (Santa Fe, Texas) and Emily Shearin (Dallas, Texas) were named All-Southland Conference first and second team, respectively, the conference office announced today. Junior Bianca Sauls (Pflugerville, Texas) was tabbed honorable mention. The all-conference teams were voted on by league head coaches and sports information directors.
Frantz, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter, leads the Mavericks with 220 kills and 2.75 kills per set this season. She has tallied 13 double-figure kill matches, including 10 during conference competition. Entering the postseason, Frantz has at least 10 kills in four of the last five matches.
Frantz has recorded a career-high 16 kills twice this season, with the most recent coming against Sam Houston State in Huntsville (10/3). In addition, she has led UTA in kills nine times, with six coming against SLC opponents.
She becomes the first UTA sophomore to be named first team all-conference since 2002 (Olaya Pazo), and gives the Mavericks at least one first team selection in each of the past three seasons.
Shearin, a 6-foot-1 middle blocker, led the Southland Conference in blocks during league play averaging 1.25 per set and ranks third in the league recording 1.03 bps in all matches. She has 147 kills (1.52 kps) and 75 digs while leading the Mavericks with 21 service aces.
Shearin has been the Mavericks team leader in blocks on 16 occasions and led UTA in service aces eight times. On four occasions, Shearin has posted a season best eight kills and she has matched her career-high eight blocks three times this campaign.
It is the first time since 2007 that UTA has had multiple players named to the first and second team (2 first team, 2 second team in 2007).
Sauls, a 5-foot-11 right-side hitter, was one of 10 SLC players who received honorable mention all-conference. She is currently second on the team averaging 2.16 kills per set and with 212 kills. Sauls also ranks among team leaders with 279 digs, 103 assists and 50 total blocks. She is 13th in the SLC averaging 2.85 digs per set.
She posted a team-high 19 kills in the second match of the season against Illinois State (8/29) and notched a season-high 17 digs against Arkansas State (9/18). Sauls entered the 2009 season as a preseason second team All-SLC pick.
Since 1982, UT Arlington has had 81 All-SLC selections, including 42 first team picks. During the Diane Seymour head coaching era (since 2004), the Mavericks have had 12 all-conference selections with five players earning six first-team honors.
For more information on Mavericks Volleyball check out their new official website @ http://www.utamavs.com/sports/
