Chloe Smith Named Southland Volleyball Player of the Year
FRISCO, Texas ? Central Arkansas sophomore middle blocker Chloe Smith was named the 2008 Southland Conference Volleyball Player of the Year by a vote of the league’s head coaches and sports information directors, the league office announced Tuesday in conjunction with the release of the all-conference volleyball teams.
A native of San Diego, Calif., Smith led the Sugar Bears to a first-place finish in the East Division and the best conference record (12-4) since joining the Southland in 2006. Smith led Central Arkansas in total kills (326) and blocks (69). In conference, she ranked sixth in hitting percentage (.302), third in kills (3.29) and second in service aces per set (0.45).
Central Arkansas claimed four-of-the six individual awards given by the Southland Conference. Joining Smith on the awards list are teammates Jessica Hays, who was named the freshman of the year, Robyn Smith, who was named setter of the year; and coach Steven McRoberts, who received the Katrinka Jo Crawford Coach of the Year award.
Since joining the Southland in 2006, Central Arkansas has claimed the freshman of the year award each season. Hays joins current Sugar Bears Robyn Smith and Chloe Smith who won the award in 2006 and 2007 respectively. The Friendswood, Texas, native leads all freshmen with a 3.03 kills average, ranking seventh in conference, while her 0.46 service aces mark leads the conference.
Robyn Smith is the first setter of the year in UCA history. A 2007 first-team selection, she makes a return appearance to the first-team earning the distinction as the first player in school history to receive consecutive first-team honors. Robyn Smith led the league for the second straight season in assists topping the 1,000 mark both years with 1,387 in 2007 and 1,093 in 2008. Her 11.04 assists average stands as the only mark over 11 in conference this season.
In four seasons as head coach of the Sugar Bears Steven McRoberts has amassed 87 wins and led UCA to a first-place finish in the East Division, garnering coach of the honors. Each season, McRoberts and Central Arkansas have qualified for the conference tournament. However, because of its reclassifying transition from NCAA Division II to Division I, the Sugar Bears are ineligible for postseason play until the 2010 season.
UTSA claimed the two remaining individual awards as junior Stefanie Robbins was named newcomer of the year and freshman Kelsey Jewasko was named libero of the year.
Robbins finished second on the team and eighth in conference in kills (262) and owns two of UTSA’s four 20-kill matches this season. One of three freshmen selected to the all-conference first team, Jewasko led the Southland in digs, pulling up an impressive 515 on the year for a 4.44 average.
Joining Jewasko on the first-team is UTSA sophomore Kendra Rowland. Finishing third in player of the year voting, the outside hitter from Antioch, Calif., led the conference with 421 kills, and was the only player to top 400 kills this season. One of three league players with 24 kills in a match, Rowland led the Southland with 16 double-doubles on the year.
Texas State, the 2008 regular-season champion and top seed in this week’s Southland Conference Volleyball Tournament, boasts the most first-team selections with Jessica Weynand, Emily Jones Wilkes and Amy Weigle receiving merits.
A native of Brenham, Texas, Weynand finished second in player of the year voting. A junior outside hitter, she was one of nine league players with 10 or more double-doubles on the year. She led the Southland’s best hitting team in kills (342) with a 2.78 average and ninth-place conference ranking. Jones Wilkes, a senior from Arlington, Texas, is the league’s fourth-ranked hitter swatting a .338 hitting percentage. Her 0.90 blocks average ranks seventh in conference, and her 103 total blocks is fourth overall, marking her as one of only four league players with over 100 blocks to her credit this season. A senior middle blocker from Arlington, Texas, Weigle makes a return appearance to the conference first-team, concluding her senior campaign as the Southland’s most lethal hitter, anchoring the champion Bobcats with a league-high .366 hitting percentage.
Representing Stephen F. Austin on the first-team is senior Lauren Railey and freshman Mary Caitlin Bottles. One of three players returning from the 2007 first-team, Railey, an outside hitter from McKinney, Texas, led the Ladyjacks with 322 kills, giving her a 3.29 average for fourth in conference. Bottles, a middle blocker from Rowlett, Texas, leads all freshman and is third in conference with a .347 hitting percentage. Her 0.88 blocks average ranks ninth in conference.
Rounding out the first-team selections are Lauren Holdroff of Lamar, Anna Ferguson of Sam Houston State, and Amanda Aguilera of UT Arlington.
Lady Cardinal’s middle blocker, Holdroff, is one of seven league players to hit over .300 (.301) on the season. The junior from Friendswood, Texas added 194 kills, 57 digs and 75 blocks en route to a No. 2 seed in the Southland Volleyball Tournament.
Ferguson pounded out 2.76 kills a match for10th in conference. The junior middle blocker from Dallas, Texas boasts the Bearkats’ only 20-kill match of the season. She led Sam Houston with 339 kills, the third most in conference, in addition to 84 digs and 98 blocks.
Aguilera is one of two league freshman to finish in the top ten in kills per match (2.78). Her three 20-plus kill matches rank second in conference, and she holds 10 double-doubles on the year. The Pearland, Texas native led UT Arlington in kills (314) and service aces (32) in addition to 303 digs and 48 blocks.
Second team honorees are Yelena Enwere of Northwestern State, Chanel Tyler of McNeese State, Lawrencia Brown of Texas State, Ashley Todd and Kaci Brewer of Lamar and Haley Thomas of Sam Houston State.
A junior middle blocker from Stafford, Texas, Enwere led the Southland with five 20-plus kill matches. She ranked second in kills (3.57), third in service aces (0.40), and sixth in blocks (0.90). Her 336 kills rank fourth overall.
A San Antonio, Texas, native, Tyler recorded over half of McNeese State’s 27 double-doubles on the year with 14, for second in conference. The junior from SanAntonio, Texas, swatted a 3.07 kills average for sixth in conference her 3.20 digs average is eighth.
Texas State senior Lawrencia Brown played a crucial role for Bobcats, leading the team in digs (332) and was second in kills (269). The senior outside hitter from Austin, Texas posted eight of Texas State’s league-leading 33 double-doubles on the year.
Lamar teammates Todd and Brewer were integral in the Lady Cardinal’s fourth consecutive league tournament appearance. Todd, a senior setter from Austin, Texas, recorded three double-doubles in addition to 141 digs and 38 blocks. She led the Lady Cardinals with 801 assists for an 8.52 average, which was eighth in conference. Brewer, a junior outside hitter from Castroville, Texas, was second on the team in kills (207) while recording five double-doubles on top of 186 digs and 32 blocks.
Bearkats’ senior Haley Thomas was a dual threat for Sam Houston State. The senior middle blocker from Jewett, Texas, finished second on the team in kills (284) and led the team with 106 blocks including 12 solo. Her 106 blocks total was second in conference.
The 2008 Southland Volleyball All-Conference teams are comprised of 12 first team and six second team members. Teams are chosen by vote of the league’s head coaches and sports information directors. The recipients are placed by the number of votes received.
The 2008 Southland Conference Volleyball Tournament gets underway Friday in Nacogdoches, Texas with four first round matches. The semifinals will be held Saturday with the championship match being played Sunday at 2 p.m. on the Southland Conference Television Network.
2008 All-Southland Conference Volleyball Teams
|
First Team |
|
|
|
|
|
Name |
School |
Pos. |
Cl. |
Hometown/High School |
|
Chloe Smith |
Central Arkansas |
MB |
So. |
San Diego, Calif./Acad. of Our Lady of Peace |
|
Jessica Weynand |
Texas State |
OH |
Jr. |
Brenham, Texas/Brenham |
|
Kendra Rowland |
UTSA |
OH |
So. |
Antioch, Calif./Deer Valley |
|
Lauren Railey |
Stephen F. Austin |
OH |
Sr. |
McKinney, Texas/McKinney |
|
Lauren Holdroff |
Lamar |
MB |
Jr. |
Friendswood, Texas/Friendswood |
|
Anna Ferguson |
Sam Houston State |
MB |
Jr. |
Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands |
|
Emily Jones Wilkes |
Texas State |
MB |
Sr. |
Arlington, Texas/Martin |
|
Amy Weigle |
Texas State |
MB |
Sr. |
Arlington, Texas/Martin |
|
Robyn Smith |
Central Arkansas |
S |
Jr. |
Lubbock, Texas/Coronado |
|
Kelsey Jewasko |
UTSA |
L |
Fr. |
San Antonio, Texas/East Central |
|
Amanda Aguilera |
UT Arlington |
OH |
Fr. |
Pearland, Texas/Pearland |
|
Mary Caitlin Bottles |
Stephen F. Austin |
MB |
Fr. |
Rowlett, Texas/Rowlett |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Second Team |
|
|
|
|
|
Name |
School |
Pos. |
Cl. |
Hometown/High School |
|
Yelena Enwere |
Northwestern State |
MB |
Jr. |
Stafford, Texas/Stafford |
|
Chanel Tyler |
McNeese State |
OH |
Jr. |
San Antonio, Texas/Earl Warren |
|
Lawrencia Brown |
Texas State |
OH |
Sr. |
Austin, Texas/Akins |
|
Ashley Todd |
Lamar |
S |
Sr. |
Austin, Texas/Flour Bluff |
|
Kaci Brewer |
Lamar |
OH |
Jr. |
Castroville, Texas/Castroville |
|
Haley Thomas |
Sam Houston State |
MB |
Sr. |
Jewett, Texas/Leon |
Honorable Mention: Laurel Kuepker, SFA; Amber Brooks, UTSA; Genevieve Gladle, LU; Brittany Collins, TXST; Ashley Bailey, SFA; Jessica Hays, UCA; Stefanie Robbins, UTSA; Nicole Bowden, MCN; Lauren Paslay, AMCC; Shalayne Blythe, LU.
Player of the Year ? Chloe Smith, Central Arkansas
Newcomer of the Year ? Stefanie Robbins, UTSA
Freshman of the Year ? Jessica Hays, Central Arkansas
Libero of the Year ? Kelsey Jewasko, UTSA
Setter of the Year ? Robyn Smith, Central Arkansas
Coach of the Year ? Steven McRoberts, Central Arkansas