Volleyball Voices

Week 13: Sun Belt Conference Post Season College Volleyball Honors, Trophies and Awards

DU’s Emmy Davidsmeyer Tabbed All-SBC First Team

Davidsmeyer earns honor for the second consecutive season

 

NEW ORLEANS – After an impressive 2009 campaign, University of Denver senior Emmy Davidsmeyer (Colorado Springs, Colo.) was tabbed an All-Sun Belt Conference First Team Selection as decided by the league's 13 head coaches, it was announced on Wednesday evening.

 

Davidsmeyer leads the Pioneers with a .347 hitting percentage and is averaging 4.27 kills per set to go along with a .95 blocks per set average. During the 2009 season, Davidsmeyer was honored as the SBC Offensive Player of the Week twice for her efforts. In the SBC, Davidsmeyer ranks second in kills per set, third in hitting percentage, third in points per set and sixth in blocks per set. In the NCAA, Davidsmeyer ranks 23rd out of 250 student-athletes in points per set (4.88), 26th in kills per set and 57th in hitting percentage.

 

ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL TEAM

FIRST TEAM

Anita Bucur (UALR, Sr., RS/OPP)

Cayla Fielder (Arkansas State, So., MB)

Emmy Davidsmeyer (Denver, Sr., RH)

Yarimar Rosa (FIU, Sr., OH)

Natalia Valentin (FIU, Jr., S)

Leslie Clark (Middle Tennessee, Sr., S)

Izabela Kozon (Middle Tennessee, Jr., OH)

Lindsey Loyd (New Orleans, Sr., OH)

 

SECOND TEAM

Giuliana De Francesco (UALR Sr., S)

Jovana Bjelica (FIU, Fr., OH)

Olga Vergun (FIU, Sr., Opp)

Ashley Mead (Middle Tennessee, Sr., OH)

Stacy Oladinni (Middle Tennessee, r-So., Opp.)

Maria Szivos (New Orleans, So., OH)

Meghan Gilroy (Troy, Sr., MH)

Tiffany Elmore (WKU, So., MH)

 

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR - Jovana Bjelica, FIU

 

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Heather Bowman, Arkansas State

 

PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Yarimar Rosa, FIU

 

COACH OF THE YEAR - Danijela Tomic, FIU

 

Chosen as a No. 6 seed, the University of Denver volleyball team (16-16, 11-7 SBC) will open up the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Thursday, Nov. 19 at 3 p.m. MT against the No. 3 seed Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers are hosting the three-day tournament in the E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky.

 

All games will be available live via Web streaming on SBC Extra and fans can purchase a tournament pass for only $9.95 to tune-in.  The championship match on Nov. 21 at 3 p.m. (CT) will also be broadcast by the Sun Belt Network and will re-air Nov. 22 at 5 p.m. (CT) on CSS and Nov. 23 on CST at 6 p.m. (CT).

 

- PIONEERS -

 

Week 13: Southland Conference Post Season College Volleyball Honors, Trophies and Awards

Week 13: Southland Conference Post Season College Volleyball Honors, Trophies and Awards

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).

- - - - - 

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/w-volley/txar-w-volley-body.html

 

 

Week 13: Conference-USA Post Season College Volleyball Honors, Trophies and Awards

Tulsa Volleyball’s Eichler Named C-USA Player of the Year, Henderson Top Freshman

Golden Hurricane lands league-high five players on All-C-USA Teams

 

TULSA, Okla. – Senior Jennifer Eichler was named the Conference USA Co-Player of the Year and freshman Tyler Henderson was named Freshman of the Year as The University of Tulsa landed a conference-high five players on the 2009 All-Conference USA volleyball teams, as voted on by the league’s coaches.

 

Eichler and Henderson were also named to the All-C-USA First Team, while senior Julia Kenealy, junior Hannah Stout and freshman Jessica Adams were named to the All-C-USA Second Team. Adams and Henderson earned places on the C-USA All-Freshman Team as well. Eichler shared the Player of the Year award with Tulane’s Visnja Djurdjevic.

 

“I think the fact that we have had the most honorees, proves that we have what we believe to be one of the best teams in the league,” Tulsa Head Coach Ed Allen said. “I think when you look at our team, of the freshman kids that we’ve had come in and played, all four have contributed in a very positive way. Two of those have received recognition, as they much deserve. We’re looking forward to the opportunity to compete in a conference tournament, and compete in what is the last conference tournament in Conference USA.”

 

Eichler ranks third in C-USA in both total points (478.0) and points per set with (4.35) in all matches. She also ranks third in C-USA in total kills with 418 and fifth with 3.80 kills per set, and is seventh in the league with 3.57 kills per set in conference matches. She has recorded 12 double-doubles, has recorded double-digit kills in all but four matches, and recorded 4.00 kills per set or more in 13 matches. She has hit above .300 in 14 matches, including five matches above .400 and two matches with a .600 or higher hitting percentage.

 

“We’re just excited that Jen is getting the attention she certainly deserves,” Allen said. “She has been asked to do so much more this year than she has ever been asked to do as a collegiate player, and that’s to be a six-rotation player and help pass. We have been thrilled with her growth in the two-and-a-half years that she has been here. She is one of the hardest working kids in the gym, and has worked very hard to improve her skills in the two years being here, to the point where she is deserving of a very high award. The fact that she shares it with what we believe is a very talented player from Tulane, I think is a compliment to both players.”

 

Henderson leads C-USA in overall kills (485), kills per set (4.45) and points (512.0), and ranks second in points per set (4.70). She also ranks among the top of the conference in hitting percentage, and ranks 16^th in the NCAA in kills per set and 33^rd in points per set. She has recorded eight matches with 20 or more kills, 17 matches with 4.50 or more kills per set, and has hit above .400 in nine matches. Henderson recorded a C-USA-high 31 kills in a single match, at Southern Miss on Nov. 8. She was named C-USA Offensive Player of the Week a league-high four times this season.

 

“We’re excited that Tyler got the recognition that she deserves as well, being a first-team player and Freshman of the Year,” said Allen. “She has grown immensely in a year here. There has been some refinement of some of her skill development, but more importantly, her mental toughness and ability to compete has grown immensely since August. We expect that to continue over the next couple of years where she can challenge to be in a position like Eichler to be a player of the year.”

 

Kenealy ranks third in C-USA in total blocks with 117, sixth in blocks per set with 1.08, and seventh in the conference with a .303 attack percentage. She has hit above .300 in 18 matches this season, including 13 matches with a .400 or better hitting percentage. Kenealy has tallied eight or more blocks four times, and six or more blocks seven times this season.

 

Stout leads C-USA and ranks seventh in the NCAA with a .410 hitting percentage. She ranks among the top players in the league in blocks per set in both overall and C-USA matches with 0.80 blocks per set and 0.83 blocks per set, respectively. She has hit above .300 in 24 matches, including 12 matches with a .500 or higher hitting percentage. Stout has recorded double-digit kills in 12 matches this season, and has five or more blocks in six matches. She was named C-USA Offensive Player of the Week twice this season.

 

“We feel that both of our middle are very deserving to be on an all-conference team,” Allen said. “They are both extremely competitive kids, who have hit for a very high percentage for us all year long. It’s great to see Julia Kenealy get the recognition for the first time in league play that she deserves. Again, Hannah Stout proves to be one of the most consistent middles in the league with her performance as a second-team all-conference player.”

 

Adams ranks second in C-USA overall and in league matches in both digs and digs per set with 561 (5.10 digs/set) and 316 (5.27 digs/set), respectively. She has recorded an average of 4.50 digs per set or higher in 23 matches, including 17 matches with 5.00 or more digs per set. She has 12 matches of 20-plus digs this season, and has recorded double-digit digs in every match except for one. Adams reached 30-dig plateau twice this season. She also has served 16 aces on the year. She was named C-USA Defensive Player of the Week four times this season.

 

“Jessica Adams, we believe, is going to be just like Tracey Lam – a kid that is going to challenge for Libero of the Year as she finishes her remaining three years here at Tulsa,” Allen said. “She has been as instrumental as any player in terms of our success this year. Her ball control, competitive spirit, and her defensive abilities have enabled her to have a very productive first year. She is probably as good as any player I’ve had at digging a ball on an open net.”

 

The No. 2 seed Golden Hurricane opens the 2009 Conference USA Championship against seventh-seeded UAB Friday at 2 p.m. at Rice’s Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston.

 

For all Tulsa volleyball news and information, visit www.TulsaHurricane.com. Follow Tulsa Athletics on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/TulsaHurricane. Become a fan of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane page on Facebook – search “Tulsa Golden Hurricane.”

-TulsaHurricane.com-

 

UCF’s Erin Campbell Garners All-Conference USA Volleyball Honors

The senior was named to the All-C-USA Second Team by league coaches.

               

ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) – Senior Erin Campbell (Kansas City, Mo.) continued to add accolades to her already extensive list Thursday, as she was named to the All-Conference USA Volleyball Second Team by league coaches. The honor is only the second bestowed on a Knight since the squad joined C-USA in 2005, with Stephanie Serna garnering the same distinction one year ago.

 

“We are proud for the second year in a row to have a player honored by Conference USA,” head coach Todd Dagenais said. “We are very proud of Erin and all of her accomplishments throughout her career. We felt the entire year that Erin was one of the top players in Conference USA and we are very excited that she was recognized.”

 

With one game remaining on UCF’s schedule for the 2009 season, Campbell currently ranks in UCF’s all-time top-10 in six different career categories and in the top-five in three. The outside hitter climbed to third on the career-register with 9.16 attempts per set and fourth with 3,865 attempts and 2.67 digs per sets. She sits in fifth with 1,126 digs, sixth with 1,194 kills and eighth with 422 sets played.

 

One of this season’s team captains, Campbell became only the fourth Knight in program-history to register both 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs on Sept. 25 at East Carolina, and also became the first Knight to be named to the Preseason All-C-USA Team when league coaches voted her on prior to the 2009 season.

 

On the year, Campbell totaled team-bests with 383 kills, 3.68 kills per set, 1,225 attempts, 21 block solos and 433.5 points. She tied for sixth in the league with 13 double-doubles, while ranking fifth in points and sixth in kills.

 

For the latest news on the Knights, log on to www.UCFAthletics.com – the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF’s new online apparel store. Also visitwww.UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.

-UCF-

C-USA Announces Volleyball All-Conference and Individual Award Winners
The 2009 C-USA Championship action sets on Friday, Nov. 20 in Houston, Texas.

IRVING, Texas - Conference USA has announced its 2009 all-conference first and second teams as well as the all-freshman team and individual specialty award winners for volleyball, as selected by the league's head coaches.

After winning C-USA Freshman and Newcomer of the Year honors in 2008, Tulane sophomore Visnja Djurdjevic and Tulsa senior Jennifer Eichler shares this year's C-USA Player of the Year honors. The duo also appears on the 2009 All-C-USA first team.

Djurdjevic led the league in points (4.84) and aces (0.43) plus ranked second in kills (4.25) per set. She was the only league player to rank in the Top 20 in kills, aces, points and digs. Djurdjevic had 11 kill/dig double-doubles in league play, including a career-high 29 kills and a school-record 36 digs against SMU on Sept. 27.

Eichler ranks third in the league in points (4.35), fifth in kills (3.80) and 10th in hitting efficiency (.287). She ended the regular season with 12 double-doubles and averaged 4.00 kills per set-or-more in 13 matches.

Also sharing an individual specialty award is Southern Miss' Kelsea Seymour and Meredith Schamun of Rice. The pair was voted Co-Setters of the Year and both appear on the All-C-USA first team. Seymour, a sophomore, guided her club to its first C-USA title and finished fourth in assists per set (10.60). She ended the regular season with 19 double-doubles, second most in the league, and dished out a season-high 60 assists twice (vs. UCF and Rice). Those 60 assists account for two of the top five single-match best for a league match this year.

Schamun, who ranks ninth in the NCAA, led the league for most assists per set in overall (11.89) and conference (12.41) only matches.  She tied Natalie Bogan for most team double-doubles with 11 that included a match-high 61 assist and 22 dig performance at SMU on Oct. 23. The junior has distributed 3,704 career assists to rank fourth at Rice and 16th in C-USA. Both were named C-USA Setter of the Week four times this season.

For the second consecutive year, Tracey Lam of Rice has been voted the Libero of the Year, marking just the third time in league history an individual has repeated this honor.  The junior tops the dig charts in overall (5.45) and league (5.57) matches as well as ranking 10th in the nation in digs per set. The 2009 All-C-USA first teamer was named Libero of the Week three times and concluded the regular season with double-digit digs in 26-of-27 matches. Lam sports a school-record 1,602 career digs, a figure that ranks eighth best in the C-USA annals.

After leading the league in overall and C-USA only matches in kills and kills per set, Tyler Henderson of Tulsa was voted Freshman of the Year. The rookie was also named to the All-Freshman team and All-C-USA first team as well as earning C-USA Offensive Player of the Week accolades four times this season.  Henderson recorded a league-high 31 kills against Southern Miss on Nov. 8, and tallied double-digit kills in 26 matches. She had seven matches with 20-or-more kills, 18 matches with 4.50-or-more kills per set, and hit above .400 in nine matches.

For third of the past four seasons, UAB has captured the Newcomer of the Year award. Junior Michelle Uzoh wins this season's honors. The 5-11 middle blocker is a transfer from Georgia Southern, is tied for first in the conference in blocks (1.24) and has a hitting efficiency of .311, for fifth best in the league.  The sister duo of Fernanda (2006) and Lilly (2007) Domingos were the Blazers previous award winners.

After leading his team to the C-USA regular season title, Southern Miss head coach Ricci Luyties was unanimously voted C-USA Coach of the Year. Luyties guided the Golden Eagles to a 14-2 C-USA record and a 26-4 overall mark. The 14 league wins mark a program best and an improvement from its 7-9 record and seventh-place finish from a year ago.

Tulsa topped everyone with six conference honors. In addition to Eichler and Henderson on the first team, Tulsa had Jessica Adams, Julia Kenealy and Hannah Stout named to the second team. Along with Henderson, Adams appeared on the six-member All-Freshman list.

Rice followed with five selections. The Owls also placed Ashleigh McCord and Bogan on the first team beside Lam and Schamun. Middle blocker Nancy Cole also earned a spot on the All-Freshman Team.

The Green Wave was led by Djurdjevic on the first team, followed by setter Rachel Lindelow and outside hitter Ksenija Vlaskovic on the second team. All-Freshman honors went to middle blocker Marija Milosavljevic.

Southern Miss placed four on the all-conference teams. Angela Hlavaty and Ashley Mell joined Seymour on the first team, while Maia Ivanova appeared on the second team. Emily Sullivan of Marshall rounded out the list of first team honorees.

The 2009 C-USA Volleyball Championship will be hosted by Rice University inside Tudor Fieldhouse. Quarterfinal action is set for Friday, Nov. 20 starting at 12 p.m. CT. The semifinal matches are slated for Saturday, Nov. 21, at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., with the Championship match set for Sunday, Nov. 22 at 1 p.m. live on CBS College Sports. For information and live stats on the C-USA Volleyball Championship visitwww.conferenceusa.com.


The following is a list of all-conference honorees and specialty award winners for the 2009 C-USA volleyball season.

2009 CONFERENCE USA VOLLEYBALL POSTSEASON AWARD WINNERS



ALL-C-USA HONOREES
First Team
Emily Sullivan, Marshall                                    OH
Natalie Bogan, Rice                                          MB
Tracey Lam, Rice                                               LIB
Ashleigh McCord, Rice                                      OH
Meredith Schamun, Rice                                      S
Angela Hlavaty, Southern Miss                         OH
Ashley Mell, Southern Miss                              OH
Kelsea Seymour, Southern Miss                           S
Visnja Djurdjevic, Tulane                                   OH
Jennifer Eichler, Tulsa                                       OH
Tyler Henderson, Tulsa                                     OH

Second Team
Kinsey Cave, Houston                                         RS
Elizabeth Fleming, Marshall                                S
Kendra Kahanek, SMU                                      MB
Dana Powell, SMU                                            OH
Maia Ivanova, Southern Miss                            LIB
Rachel Lindelow, Tulane                                      S
Ksenija Vlaskovic, Tulane                                  OH
Jessica Adams, Tulsa                                         LIB
Julia Kenealy, Tulsa                                           MB
Hannah Stout, Tulsa                                         MH
Erin Campbell, UCF                                           OH

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Jasmine Terry, Houston                                    OH
Altrese Hawkins, Memphis                         OH/RS
Nancy Cole, Rice                                               MB
Marija Milosavljevic, Tulane                             MB
Jessica Adams, Tulsa                                         LIB
Tyler Henderson, Tulsa                                     OH
Sam Serley, UAB                                               MB



INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS

Co-PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Visnja Djurdjevic, Tulane                                   OH
Jennifer Eichler, Tulsa                                       OH

Co-SETTERS OF THE YEAR
Meredith Schamun, Rice                                      S
Kelsea Seymour, Southern Miss                           S

LIBERO OF THE YEAR
Tracey Lam, Rice                                               LIB

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Michelle Uzoh, UAB                                          MB

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Tyler Henderson, Tulsa                                     OH

COACH OF THE YEAR
Ricci Luyties, Southern Miss

Volleyball’s Cave and Terry Earn C-USA Postseason Awards
Duo will guide Cougars at C-USA Championship on Friday

HOUSTON – Two University of Houston volleyball players earned Conference USA postseason awards it was announced by the conference office on Thursday. Senior Kinsey Cave was named to the All C-USA Second Team, while freshman Jasmine Terry is an All-Freshman Team selection. 
 
This is the first postseason award for Cave, who leads the team in kills this season with 373. The Placentia, Calif., native also has 14 aces, 145 digs and 39 blocks this season. Cave has started 28 matches this season and has played in all 31. She was named to both the Wildcat Classic and the Crowne Plaza LAX All-Tournament teams earlier this season. 
 
Cave earned her first career double-double against Tulsa on Oct. 11, in addition to a career-high 27 kills. In the classroom, she is a three-time member of the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll. 
 
With Cave’s selection to the All C-USA Second Team, Houston has placed at least one member of its squad on an All-Conference First or Second team since joining C-USA in 1996. 
 
With Terry’s selection to the All-Freshman Team, she becomes the seventh Cougar to earn that honor and the third in the last three years. The Pearland, Texas native ranks second on the team with 210 kills, along with 10 aces, 63 digs and 40 blocks. 
 
Terry recorded the first double-double of her career against Southern Miss on Oct. 16 with 13 kills and 10 assists. She finished the regular season with nine double-digit kill matches, with her career-high of 19 coming against Marshall. 
 
Cave and Terry will look to guide the Cougars through the C-USA Championship, which begins on Nov. 20. Houston’s first match will begin at 7 p.m. against Southern Miss at Rice University. 

Volleyball’s Sullivan and Fleming Earn All-Conference USA Recognition
Sullivan First Team; Fleming Second Team

IRVING, Texas – Marshall University senior Emily Sullivan and junior Elizabeth Fleming were named to the All-Conference USA volleyball teams, announced by the league office on Thursday.

Sullivan was honored by being named as a first team All-C-USA selection.  The Cincinnati, Ohio, native ended the regular season tied for second in hitting percentage at .354 (358K-94E-746) and seventh in kills per set (3.44) in league statistics. 

Sullivan, an outside hitter/middle blocker, earned Co-C-USA Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 26.  During that week she averaged 4.67 kills and 4.92 points per set while hitting .434 (28K-5E-53TA). She tied for a match-high 16 kills at Southern Miss and tallied 12 kills at UCF, which was a match-best. She also hit .469 (16K-1E-32TA) vs. USM.

“I’m very excited for Emily that she was recognized,” head coach Mitch Jacobs said.  “She spent two seasons playing behind Kelly Anne Billingly and had nagging injuries last year, which held her back.  It makes me so proud to see her put it all together and be an all-conference player this season.”

Fleming was named to the C-USA second team.  This is the second occasion she has earned this award.  During Fleming’s freshman campaign in 2007 she was also named to the conference second team.

The starting setter for the Herd finished with 11.89 assists per set, which was good for second in conference.  Fleming was named C-USA Setter of the Week on two occasions (Sept. 8, Oct. 26) and topped the 50-assist mark four times.  She also recorded 10 double-doubles on the season.

“It’s great to see Liz be recognized again,” Jacobs said.  “I think we have the most talented setter in the league and people will realize how great she is in her senior year.”

The Herd battles Rice on Friday at 6 p.m. EST in a four-five matchup in the C-USA Tournament at the Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston, Texas.  GameTracker will be available by logging onto HerdZone.com.

Week 13: Horizon League Post Season College Volleyball Honors, Trophies and Awards

Horizon League announces postseason volleyball honors

Greulich, Felsing, Root and Voss earn 2009 specialty awards

 

INDIANAPOLIS – Twenty-two individuals have earned 2009 Horizon League volleyball postseason honors.  The list is highlighted by four specialty award winners -- Chuck Voss(Coach of the Year), Beth Greulich (Player of the Year), Lauren Felsing (Defensive Player of the Year) and Taylor Root (Newcomer of the Year).

Voss earns the League’s top coaching award after guiding Cleveland State University to a 25-7 overall record and 13-3 League mark.  The 2009 Vikings reached the 20-win plateau for the eighth time in school history and are currently one of just 11 NCAA Division I teams with at least 25 victories.

Greulich, a senior from Troy, Ohio, is a unanimous Player-of-the-Year pick after leading the League in hitting percentage (.341) while ranking fifth in kills per set (3.37) and seventh in points per set (3.79).  The outside hitter, a three-time Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week this season, helped Cleveland State to a conference-best 12 straight match victories from Sept. 26 through Oct. 30.

Voss, Greulich and the Vikings will host the 2009 Horizon League Volleyball Championship as a result of being this year’s No. 1 seed.  The three-day event begins with two quarterfinal matches on Friday.

Felsing, a senior from Hartland, Wis., ranked second in the conference in digs per set (4.72).  The libero, a two-time HL Defensive Player of the Week, has helped the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to eight consecutive match wins.  The Panthers, 13-14 overall, have earned the tournament’s No. 3 seed after going 10-6 in conference action.

Root, a freshman from Jenison, Mich., led the circuit in digs per set (4.93).  The libero, a two-time HL Defensive Player of the Week, has helped Valparaiso University to a victory in 14 of its last 17 matches.  The Crusaders, 22-9 overall, have earned the tourney’s No. 2 seed after going 12-4 in League play.

Cleveland State and Valparaiso have three All-League selections apiece in 2009.  Senior outside hitter Liz Fazio and sophomore setter Jordan Goad join Greulich for CSU, while senior outside hitter Angie Porche and senior setter Kim Bukowski join Root for Valpo.

 

Butler and Milwaukee have two All-League picks each.  Senior outside hitter Porshia Allenand junior outside hitter Jessica Wolfe represent the Bulldogs, while Felsing and junior outside hitter Jena Berg have been given the nod for the Panthers.

 

The 14-person All-League group is rounded out by University of Wisconsin-Green Bay senior outside hitter Holly Visser, University of Illinois at Chicago junior outside hitterCasie Sullivan, Wright State University junior middle blocker Shaunda Sandifer and Youngstown State University senior middle hitter Ruth Boscaljon.

 

Wolfe led the League in kills (3.98) and points per set (4.58), while Goad ranked first in assists per set (10.91) and Boscaljon topped everyone in blocks per set (1.20).

 

Greulich, Porche and Allen earn All-League honors for the third time in their careers, while Bukowski, Wolfe, Felsing, Sandifer and Boscaljon earn All-League accolades for the second time in their careers.

 

No. 3 Milwaukee and No. 6 Green Bay open the League championship on Friday at 5 p.m. ET before No. 4 Butler and No. 5 UIC square off in the second quarterfinal at 7:30 p.m.

 

Top-seeded Cleveland State will battle the lowest remaining seed in the first semifinal on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET before second-seeded Valparaiso takes on the highest remaining seed in the second semifinal at 3:30 p.m.

 

The championship match is slated for Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, with the winner earning a spot in the 64-team NCAA Championship.  All five tournament matches will be shown live on the Horizon League Network (www.horizonleaguenetwork.tv).

 

 

ALL-LEAGUE HONOREES

Beth Greulich (Cleveland State)

Angie Porche (Valparaiso)

Jessica Wolfe (Butler)

Liz Fazio (Cleveland State)

Lauren Felsing (Milwaukee)

Jordan Goad (Cleveland State)

Porshia Allen (Butler)

Kim Bukowski (Valparaiso)

Ruth Boscaljon (Youngstown State)

Jena Berg (Milwaukee)

Taylor Root (Valparaiso)

Casie Sullivan (UIC)

Holly Visser (Green Bay)

Shaunda Sandifer (Wright State)

 

ALL-NEWCOMER TEAM

Taylor Root (Valparaiso)

Gina Vera (Butler)

Jena Berg (Milwaukee)

Kara Koch (Cleveland State)

Kelsey Safranek (UIC)

Angela Roidt (Youngstown State)

Whitney Schott (Green Bay)

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Beth Greulich (Cleveland State)

 

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Lauren Felsing (Milwaukee)

 

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Taylor Root (Valparaiso)

 

COACH OF THE YEAR

Chuck Voss (Cleveland State)

Felsing Named Defensive Player Of The Year, Joins Berg On All-League Squad
Duo honored with postseason Horizon League awards

MILWAUKEE - Senior Lauren Felsing and junior Jena Berg have both been
recognized by the Horizon League in the annual postseason awards, announced
today by the league office.

Felsing has been named the League Defensive Player of the Year and a member
of the all-league team. Berg also earned a spot on the all-league team while
claiming a place on the league's all-newcomer team.

Felsing has been one of the best liberos in the Midwest throughout her
career. She is a six-time winner of the Horizon League's Defensive Player of
the Week award and earned all-league and AVCA Honorable Mention All-Region
honors a season ago.

Felsing leads the league in digs per set in league matches and is up to
1,848 digs in her career, just behind UWM's all-time leader Becky Peters
(1,875). She had a streak of 61-straight matches in double figures in digs
snapped earlier this season, but has still reached double digits in
52-straight matches against league opponents.

The senior libero is also a standout off the court, earning CoSIDA/ESPN The
Magazine Academic All-America honors last season. She has already earned
academic all-region honors this year and is on the ballot to become UWM
volleyball's first two-time academic All-American.

Berg is in her first active season in Milwaukee after sitting out last year
following her transfer from Tennessee. She ranks in the top 10 in the league
in both kills and digs, reaching double figures in kills 21 times while
collecting 18 double-doubles.

The junior outside hitter has stepped up her play even more during
Milwaukee's eight-match winning streak. She is averaging 3.62 kills and 4.38
digs per set during the span, tallying a double-double in each of those
contests.

In the other major league awards, Chuck Voss of Cleveland State was named
the League Coach of the Year while the Vikings' Beth Greulich was named the
player of the year. Taylor Root of Valpo claimed League Newcomer of the Year
honors.

The league's focus now shifts to the league tournament, which opens Friday
in Cleveland. Third-seeded UWM plays at 5 p.m. EST/4 p.m. CST against
sixth-seeded Green Bay.