Southland Conference Announces 2015 Volleyball Preseason Teams
Southland Conference
FRISCO, Texas – Central Arkansas senior Heather Schnars, Houston Baptist senior Allison Doepinghaus Texas A&M-Corpus Christi sophomore Kristyn Nicholson highlight the list of 18 volleyball players on the 2015 All-Southland Conference preseason volleyball teams, the league announced Wednesday.
Schnars, an outside hitter from Downey, Calif., led UCA (20-12, 13-3) to the conference tournament championship match last year after the Sugar Bears finished second in the regular-season standings. The reigning conference player of the year is a three-time first-team all-conference selection and finished second in league play in kills (277), fifth in hitting percentage (.338), and sixth in aces per serve (0.41).
Doepinghaus earned preseason first-team honors after being named the league’s newcomer of the year in 2014. The Palo Alto, Calif. (Gunn H.S.), native and Eastern Washington transfer helped lead the Huskies to a 9-7 league record, finishing third in conference play in hitting percentage (.354) and recorded 73 blocks at 1.35 per set.
Nicholson, last season’s freshman of the year, finished sixth in the conference in assists with 9.45 per set and 1,030 total, along with being third in service aces. The sophomore from Lewisville, Texas (Lewisville H.S.), earned preseason second-team honors after helping lead the Islanders to an 11-5 record in league play last season.
Stephen F. Austin, which finished a perfect 16-0 last season in league play, leads all teams with four preseason selections. Pacing the way for the Ladyjacks are senior Jacque Allen, junior Justice Walker and senior O.J. Olson on the first team and senior Tori Bates on the second team.
Houston Baptist and Northwestern State each had three all-conference selections followed by UCA, Lamar and A&M Corpus Christi each with two honorees. Sam Houston State and Nicholls complete the all-conference teams with one apiece.
Ten student-athletes who were selected all-conference last season appear on the 2015 Southland Conference preseason all-conference volleyball teams. The remaining positions were filled by a vote of the league’s head coaches.
2015 All-Southland Volleyball Preseason Teams
|
First Team |
|
|
|
|
|
Name |
Class |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown |
|
Heather Schnars1 |
Sr. |
OH |
Central Arkansas |
Downey, Calif. |
|
Jessica Wooten1 |
Jr. |
OH |
Houston Baptist |
Humble, Texas |
|
Jacque Allen1 |
Sr. |
MB |
Stephen F. Austin |
Mansfield, Texas |
Justice Walker1
Michelle Griffith1 |
Jr.
Jr. |
MB
S |
Stephen F. Austin
Sam Houston State |
Fort Worth, Texas
The Woodlands, Texas |
|
Cortney Moore1 |
Sr. |
MB |
Lamar |
Houston, Texas |
|
O.J. Olson1 |
Sr. |
L |
Stephen F. Austin |
Cedar Park, Texas |
|
Allison Doerpinghaus1 |
Sr. |
MB |
Houston Baptist |
Palo Alto, Calif. |
|
Chelsea Grant1 |
Jr. |
MB |
Lamar |
Killeen, Texas |
|
Kaci Eaton1 |
R-Jr. |
OH |
Nicholls |
Austin, Texas |
Fulani Petties
Kayla Armer |
Jr.
Jr. |
MB
S |
Central Arkansas
Houston Baptist |
Whitehouse, Texas
Bradenton, Fla. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Second Team |
|
|
|
|
|
Name |
Class |
Pos. |
University |
Hometown |
|
Glynna Johnson |
Sr. |
MB |
Northwestern State |
Gatesville, Texas |
|
Ivy Baresh |
Sr. |
OH |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
Arlington, Texas |
|
Caiti O’Connell |
R-Sr. |
OH |
Northwestern State |
Friendswood, Texas |
|
Balley Martin |
Jr. |
L |
Northwestern State |
Lucas, Texas |
|
Kristyn Nicholson |
So. |
S |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
Lewisville, Texas |
|
Tori Bates |
Sr. |
OH |
Stephen F. Austin |
Allen, Texas |
1Returning all-conference selection