Southland Volleyball Tournament Starts Friday
Texas State earned the top seed in the 2009 Southland Conference Volleyball Tournament which gets underway Friday at the Convocation Center in San Antonio, Texas.
The Bobcats (19-12, 13-3) make their sixth consecutive tournament appearance and take the No. 1 seed for the second straight season. Texas State is slated to play in the tournament opener Friday at 11 a.m. against No. 8 seed Southeastern Louisiana. The Lady Lions (9-18, 5-11) make their first postseason appearance since 2002 and played their way into the tournament in the last match of the season with a five-set win over McNeese State.
Sam Houston State claimed the No. 2 seed and will play in match three against No. 7 seed Nicholls at 4 p.m. The Bearkats (20-13, 12-4) 20 overall wins are the most by an SHSU squad since the 1996 season (25). The Colonels (12-18, 6-10) appearance in the conference tournament marks the first time in school history that Nicholls has qualified for the league postseason event in consecutive seasons.
No stranger to postseason play, Stephen F. Austin enters the tournament as the No. 3 seed and will play in match four against the No. 6 seed and tournament host UTSA. The Ladyjacks (22-12, 11-5) have reached the conference tournament a league record 23 consecutive seasons. The Roadrunners (12-18, 7-9) make their sixth appearance in the conference tournament in the last seven seasons.
Lamar, the defending tournament champion, will begin its title defense as the No. 4 seed and will face No. 5 seed UT Arlington in match two Friday at 1:30 p.m. The Lady Cardinals (14-13, 9-7) have qualified for the conference tournament the last five seasons, all under Coach Justin Gibert. The Mavs (12-16, 8-8) lead the Southland with 10 tournament titles and 45 match wins.
Central Arkansas, the Southland regular season champion, is ineligible for postseason play due to a five year transition period from Division II to Division I. The Sugar Bears will be eligible next fall for the 2010 season.
All seven matches of the 2009 tournament will be streamed live for free on SLC NOW and the championship match will be televised by the Southland Conference Television Network.
Doug Anderson, who has handled football play-by-play on Southland TV, will call the championship match. Color analysis will be done by Jenny McGhee, the Southland's associate commissioner for external relations.
Ticket prices for a day session are $8 for an adult and $5 youths. A tournament pass is $16 for adults and $10 for youths (age 3-18). There is no charge for Southland Conference students with a valid institutional I.D.
Central Arkansas Wins Southland Regular Season Title
The University of Central Arkansas became just the fourth team since 1994 to run the table in Southland Conference play as they defeated Lamar in the season finale on Saturday to go 16-0 against league opponents.
UCA completed their most successful season with a .900 winning percentage, breaking the season mark for the third consecutive year. The Sugar Bears also ended the season with a school record 18 sweeps and a 13-0 record at home.
Southland TV to Televise Championship
The championship match Sunday at 2 p.m. will be televised by the Southland Conference Television Network. Doug Anderson will call play-by-play and Jenny McGhee, the Southland's associate commissioner for external relations, will serve as the color analyst. All seven matches of the 2009 tournament will be streamed for free on SLC NOW on Southland.org., the Southland Conference Web site.
Southland Volleyball Tournament Returns to San Antonio
For the third time in the last four seasons and the fourth overall, the Southland Conference Volleyball Tournament will be held on the UTSA campus in the Convocation Center. The Roadrunners will look to reach the finals in front of their home crowd. The last Southland team to play for the tournament crown on their home floor was Lamar in 2000.
Chloe Smith Named Player of the Year
Central Arkansas junior Chloe Smith, a native of San Diego, Calif., is the fourth player in Southland history to be named league player of the year for 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 and she also collected a league-leading four player of the week awards.
Cristin Curl Named Libero of the Year
Central Arkansas sophomore Cristin Curl, a native of Amarillo, Texas, is the first UCA player selected as libero of the year. A second-team all-conference selection, Curl leads the Southland in digs per set (4.63) and ranked third overall (486).
Robyn Smith Named Setter of the Year
Central Arkansas senior Robyn Smith receives her second consecutive setter of the year award and is the first UCA student-athlete named to three consecutive first team all-conference volleyball teams. Smith, a native of Lubbock, Texas, is the first player in Southland history to lead the league in assists (1,134) for three consecutive seasons.
Wendy Krell Named Freshman of the Year
Lamar's Wendy Krell, a native of Plano, Texas, is the first Lady Cardinal named freshman of the year. A second-team all-conference selection, Krell ranked fifth in the league in hitting percentage (.300) and is one of only five Southland players to hit at least .300 this season.
Emma Ridley Named Newcomer of the Year
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi junior Emma Ridley is the second Islander named newcomer of the year joining 2006 recipient Christie Feliz. Ridley, a native of Phoenix, Ariz., is the Islanders' first first-team all-conference selection as a Southland member. Ridley led the Southland in overall kills (464) and joins Chloe Smith as the only league players to average more than 4.00 kills per set (4.30).
Steve McRoberts Named Coach of the Year
Steven McRoberts, the Southland Coach of the Year recipient, is the only active league coach to receive two consecutive coach of the year awards. McRoberts led UCA to its first regular season league title in 2009 and are the fourth Southland team since 1994 to run the table in conference play posting a 16-0 mark against league opponents. The Sugar Bears also ended the season with a school record 18 sweeps. Every season as a Southland member, McRoberts and UCA 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.
A Look at the 2009 Tournament Field...
No. 1 Seed Texas State
Texas State enters the tournament as the top seed for the second consecutive season. Head coach Karen Chisum and the Bobcats are on a 10-match win streak and finished the regular season at 19-12 overall and 13-3 against league opponents. Texas State has won 10 or more matches against Southland teams the last seven seasons.
Texas State started league play 3-3, before going on a hot streak to end the regular season. It has swept seven out of the last 10 matches, including the last three to become the No. 1 seed in the tournament.
They are led by first team all-conference selections senior Jessica Weynand and sophomore Amber Calhoun. Junior Mo Middleton was selected to the second team. Weynand and Middleton have registered 622 kills, 462 digs and 47 service aces. Handling things in the middle, Calhoun has recorded 86 blocks and is leading the league in hitting percentage (.353).
Texas State leads the league in hitting percentage (.256) and opponent hitting percentage (.144). It ranks second in assists (12.33), kills (13.36) and service aces (1.52).
Texas State is 28-14 all-time in the Southland tournament, with 10 finishes in the top two as it looks to captures its sixth tournament championship. They have won the tournament three out of the last five years including a 2007 title as a No. 5 seed, the lowest seed to win the Southland championship.
The last time Texas State was a No. 1 seed and won the title was in 2004. The Bobcats took second in last year's tournament after a 3-2 loss to Lamar in the championship match. Eight current Bobcats have tournament experience as they head into the weekend. Junior right side hitter A.J. Watlington is a two-time Southland All-Tournament Team member, earning Most Valuable Player honors in 2007.
No. 2 Seed Sam Houston State
Rolling up its best overall season record since 1996, the No. 2 seed Sam Houston State will make its 15th appearance in the Southland Conference tournament.
Sam Houston is 14-13 in tournament play and won the Southland championship in 1993 and 1996 and was the runner-up in 1987 and 1994. Last year, the Bearkats upset tournament host Stephen F. Austin in five sets in the first round before falling to No. 1 seed Texas State in the semifinals.
Offensively, Sam Houston has been led by first-team all-conference selections senior Anna Ferguson, sophomore Carli Kolbe and freshman Kaylee Hawkins.
Ferguson became the 18th player in Sam Houston volleyball history to total more than 1,000 career kills. With 434 kills this season (3.5 per set) her career total stands at 1,069. Ferguson stands No. 7 all-time in career blocks at Sam Houston with 316. Hawkins has asserted herself at libero and ranks No. 3 in the league in digs with 4.28 per set.
Kolbe leads the Southland in matches with both double figure kills and digs (17) and has 444 kills and 315 digs this year. Kolbe and Ferguson rank No. 3 and 4, respectively in the Southland in total kills.
Freshman Michelle Miller stepped in for the injured Phillips and ended the regular season ranked No. 2 in the Southland in assists with 9.7 per set.
Sam Houston's 20-13 overall record in 2009 is the team's best since the 1996 Bearkats went 25-15 on their way to a Southland tournament title and the NCAA playoffs.
No. 3 Seed Stephen F. Austin
Stephen F. Austin enters the Southland tournament as the No. 3 seed on the strength of a 22-12 overall mark and11-5 record against league opponents. The 2009 season marks the15th consecutive year with at least 10 league wins and sixth straight of at least 20 overall wins. The last time SFA won less than 10 matches within the Southland was in 1993 when only nine league matches were played.
The Ladyjacks are making their league-leading 23rd consecutive tournament appearance and won their fourth Southland title in 2006. Stephen F. Austin has reached the Southland tournament every season since their first as a league member in 1987. Stephen F. Austin is 24-18 in tournament play and rank second with 11 title match appearances.
Offensively, the Ladyjacks are led by first team all-conference selection senior Ashley Bailey and second team selection sophomore MC Bottles. Bailey leads Stephen F. Austin with 329 kills and ranks seventh in the league in hitting percentage (.293) and led the league in solo blocks (24), block assists (124) and in total blocks (148). Bottles had 318 kills and 123 blocks.
Debbie Humphreys, the winningest coach in Southland volleyball, crossed the 500 win plateau this season and currently stands at 506 career wins.
No. 4 Seed Lamar
Lamar (14-13, 9-7) enters the 2009 Southland tournament as the defending champions for the first time since consecutive titles in 1983 and 84. The No. 4 seed Lady Cardinals are 24-12 in tournament play and have reached the finals eight times. Lamar has reached the Southland tournament all five seasons under coach Justin Gibert.
Offensively Lamar is led by first team all-conference selection senior Adrianne Meengs and freshman of the year Wendy Krell.
Meengs led the league with three triple-doubles and is the only player in the Southland to rank in the top-10 in both assists and hitting percentage. A two-time first team all-conference selection, Meengs ranks seventh in overall assists (857), sixth in assists per set (8.74) and ranks sixth in hitting percentage (.293).
Krell is the first Lamar student-athlete named freshman of the year. A second-team all-conference selection, Krell ranked fifth in the league in hitting percentage (.300) and is one of only five Southland players to hit .300 this season.
Defensively, freshman Jayme Bazile led the league in blocks per set (1.24) and sophomore Bailey Smith ranks ninth in digs per set (3.47).
No. 5 Seed UT Arlington
The Mavericks finished the regular season 12-16 overall and 8-8 in conference to land the No. 5 seed in the tournament.
UT Arlington, who makes its league-leading 26th overall appearance at the Southland tournament, has won the most tournament titles (10) and also owns more tournament wins (45) than any other program in the conference. Overall, the Mavericks have made 15 appearances in the tournament finals and made its last finals showing in 2006 (lost to Stephen F. Austin) and won its last title in 2002 (defeated Lamar).
Leading the Mavs offense is first team all-conference selection sophomore Tara Frantz and second team selection sophomore Emily Shearin.
Frantz led the team in kills (220) in addition to 27 digs and 40 blocks. Shearin ranked third in the league in blocks per set (1.03). Other key contributors are junior Reagan Daniel and sophomore Alicia Shaffer. Daniel ranks eighth in the league in assists per set (8.47) and Shaffer ranks seventh in digs per set (3.73).
No. 6 Seed UTSA
UTSA (12-18, 7-9) enters the Southland tournament as host in three of the last four seasons. The Roadrunners are the No. 6 seed and have reached the conference tournament seven consecutive seasons.
UTSA is 8-14 in tournament play and are 1-1 in championship match appearances taking the crown home in 2000.
Coming into the tournament the Roadrunners swept two of their last three matches. Leading the offense for UTSA is junior Kendra Rowland with 313 kills and was second on the team with 332 digs. Second team all-conference selection freshman Whitney Walls was second on the team with 249 kills in addition to 39 digs and 62 blocks. Sophomore Kelsey Jewasko ranked fifth in the league in overall digs (424) and seventh in digs per set (3.69).
No. 7 Seed Nicholls
The Colonels (12-18, 6-10) appearance in the conference tournament marks the first time in school history that Nicholls has qualified for the league postseason event in consecutive seasons.
Coach Chris Laird and the Colonels enter the tournament as the No. 7 seed and are 2-9 in tournament play and reached the finals in 1997.
Leading the Colonels' attack are freshman Jennifer Brandt, sophomore Rachel Yezak and senior Manieka Golden.
The Colonels have three players with over 200 kills as Brandt led Nicholls with 270 kills on the season. Yezak put down 247 kills and Golden knocked down 218.
Senior Amy Whitehead ranks fifth in overall assists (948) and fourth in assists per set (8.86).
Defensively, sophomore Danielle Daigle ranks fourth in overall assists (459) and fifth in assists per set (4.10). Daigle is one of only five league players to average over four assists per set this season.
Other key defenders include sophomore Rachel Spreen with 259 digs and Yezak pulled up 256 giving the Colonels almost 1,000 digs between Daigle, Spreen and Yezak.
No. 8 Seed Southeastern Louisiana
Southeastern Louisiana, the No. 8 seed (9-18, 5-11) is making its first postseason appearance since 2002 and played their way into the tournament in the last match of the season with a five-set win over McNeese State.
The Lady Lions are 0-4 in the Southland tournament and are looking to win their first match in the postseason.
Southeastern finished its 2009 season with six players knocking down over 100 kills each. Leading the attack are seniors Lauren Mayer and Jessica Srajer with 186 kills and 184 kills respectively.
Sophomore Arianne Cruckshank led the team with 436 assists and ranked ninth in the league in assists per set (8.07). Senior Katie Collins had 395 assists and Mayer contributed 137 giving Southeastern 968 assists between three players.
Defensively, the Lady Lions were led by junior Alex Greer with 394 digs and ranks fourth in the league in digs per set (4.15). Mayer was as effective defensively with 262 digs ranking second on the team.
Senior Julie Elliott and freshman Courtney Donald led Southeastern in blocks with 49 and 47 respectively and each recorded eight solo blocks on the year.