Southland Conference Announces 2014 Volleyball Preseason Teams
Southland Conference
FRISCO, Texas – Sam Houston State senior Deveney Wells-Gibson, Northwestern State senior Keelie Arneson and Central Arkansas junior Heather Schnars highlight the list of 18 volleyball players on the 2014 All-Southland Conference preseason volleyball teams, the league announced Wednesday.
Wells-Gibson, an outside hitter from San Antonio, Texas, helped Sam Houston to a 17-11 overall and 14-4 conference record last year while earning first-team all-conference honors for the second straight season. Wells-Gibson led the conference in kills (457) and ranked sixth in the nation in kills per set (4.71).
Arneson, the 2013 libero of the year and two-time first-team all-conference selection, led Northwestern State (21-12, 15-3) to the conference tournament championship match last year. The senior from Tomball, Texas, led the conference in overall digs (712) and finished the season fourth in the nation in digs per set (5.70).
Schnars, a junior outside hitter from Downey, Calif., helped UCA (29-4, 18-0) to its second consecutive regular-season and tournament titles. She was a first-team all-conference selection and finished first in the conference in service aces (54), third in kills (383), fourth in kills per set (3.51), 11th in hitting percentage (.269) and was ninth in the nation in aces per set (.50).
Joining Arneson as first-team selections for the Lady Demons are senior outside hitter Stacey DiFrancesco and sophomore outside hitter Ashley Elrod. DiFrancesco was a first-team all-conference selection the past two seasons. Elrod finished the season ninth in the conference in kills (334), 11th in service aces (30) and aces per set (.26) and 15th in kills per set (2.90).
Central Arkansas senior middle blocker Alicia Dittrich and senior libero Shelbee Berringer join Schnars as first-team honorees. Dittrich, a 2012 first-team all-conference selection, finished second in the conference in hitting percentage (.327). Berringer finished third in the conference in digs (559) and 45th in the nation in digs per set (4.86).
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s junior outside hitter Ivy Baresh and senior right side hitter Brianna Brink were first-team selections. Baresh, a 2013 first-team all-conference selection, finished fourth in the conference in kills (379), seventh in kills per set (3.38), ninth in digs (399) and 15th in digs per set (3.56). Brink finished the season seventh in the conference in kills (350) and 11th in kills per set (3.10).
Two second-team all-conference selections return this year for Stephen F. Austin with O.J. Olson, a junior libero, and Jill Ivy, a senior outside hitter. Olson finished fourth in the conference last year in service aces (35), second in digs (645), 11th in aces per set (.28) and 28th in the nation in digs per set (5.12). Ivy, a two-time all-conference selection, finished 10th in the conference last year in kills (311) and 12th in kills per set (3.02).
Malina Sanchez returns for McNeese State as a first-team selection. The junior outside hitter was a second-team all-conference selection and finished second in the conference last season in kills (417), third in kills per set (3.63) and 15th in hitting percentage (.251).
Northwestern State led all teams with five selections, including three first-team honorees. Central Arkansas placed four players on the teams, including three first-team honorees, and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi had three selections with two first-team honorees. Stephen F. Austin had two first-team selections while Sam Houston State and McNeese State each placed one on the first team. Houston Baptist and Lamar each had one second-team honoree.
Nine student-athletes who were selected all-conference last season appear on the 2014 Southland Conference preseason all-conference volleyball teams. The remaining positions were filled by a vote of the league’s head coaches.
2014 All-Southland Volleyball Preseason Teams
|
First Team |
|
|
|
|
|
Name |
Class |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown |
|
Deveney Wells-Gibson1 |
Sr. |
OH |
Sam Houston State |
San Antonio, Texas |
|
Keelie Arneson1 |
Sr. |
L |
Northwestern State |
Tomball, Texas |
|
Heather Schnars1 |
Jr. |
OH |
Central Arkansas |
Downey, Calif. |
Ivy Baresh1
Stacey DiFrancesco1 |
Jr.
Sr. |
OH
OH |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Northwestern State |
Arlington, Texas
The Woodlands, Texas |
|
Malina Sanchez1 |
Jr. |
OH |
McNeese State |
Lake Jackson, Texas |
|
Ashley Elrod1 |
So. |
OH |
Northwestern State |
Arlington, Texas |
|
O.J. Olson1 |
Jr. |
L |
Stephen F. Austin |
Cedar Park, Texas |
|
Jill Ivy1 |
Sr. |
OH |
Stephen F. Austin |
Katy, Texas |
|
Alicia Dittrich |
Sr. |
MB |
Central Arkansas |
Houston, Texas |
Brianna Brink
Shelbee Berringer |
Sr.
Sr. |
RS
L |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Central Arkansas |
Corona, Calif.
Dickinson, Texas |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Second Team |
|
|
|
|
|
Name |
Class |
Pos. |
University |
Hometown |
|
Ashley Phelps |
Sr. |
OH |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
Conifer, Colo. |
|
Fulani Petties |
So. |
MB |
Central Arkansas |
Whitehouse, Texas |
|
Caiti O’Connell |
R-Jr. |
OH |
Northwestern State |
Friendswood, Texas |
|
Kayla Armer |
So. |
S |
Houston Baptist |
Bradenton, Fla. |
|
Mackenzie Neely |
Sr. |
RS |
Northwestern State |
Dripping Springs, Texas |
|
Cortney Moore |
Jr. |
MB |
Lamar |
Houston, Texas |
1Returning all-conference selection
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