SFA, HBU Lead Preseason All-Conference Volleyball Squads
FRISCO, Texas – Defending conference champion Stephen F. Austin and Houston Baptist placed three student-athletes apiece on the 2019 Southland Preseason All-Conference volleyball team, the league announced Thursday.
The Ladyjacks earned a pair of automatic first-team selections, including 2018 Tournament Most Valuable Player Danae Daron and reigning Setter of the Year Ann Hollas. Junior Maddie Miller was named a second-team honoree as a defensive specialist. Daron led the league last year with a .347 hitting percentage, while Hollas averaged 6.34 assists per match. SFA is looking for another successful season after concluding 2018 with a 32-3 overall record and a flawless 16-0 run through their conference play en route to a regular-season title. The Ladyjacks then completed a four-match sweep at the Southland Conference Tournament in order to claim the title and secure an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Their season concluded with a loss to No. 5 Texas at the Austin regional of the NCAA Tournament.
HBU’s trio of selections features junior outside hitter Mikayla Vivens, who claimed an automatic qualifier spot on the first team. Vivens is joined on the preseason squad by Kelly Colwell and Megan Patillo, who were voted to the second team. Houston Baptist concluded its 2018 campaign with a 16-16 overall record and an 8-8 mark in Southland play, cementing the No. 5 seed at the conference tournament.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi adds a pair of preseason honorees in first-team member Madison Green and second teamer Julia Carter. The duo will look to help the Islanders challenge after finishing the 2018 season with an 8-8 Southland record. Green racked up 12 double-double performances and a league-best triple-doubles. She also ranked second in the conference with 35 aces. Carter makes her way onto the preseason squad after leading the Islanders with 3.05 points and 2.71 kills per set last season.
Abilene Christian, Central Arkansas, UIW, McNeese, Northwestern State and Sam Houston State each captured one selection, rounding out the 2019 preseason squads. UIW’s Bethany Clapp, McNeese’s Keegan Nelms and Northwestern State’s Hannah Brister earned automatic selections after concluding the 2018 season as all-conference honorees. Abilene Christian’s Katelyn Mueller, Central Arkansas’ Elizabeth Armstrong and Sam Houston State’s Breanne Chausse were voted onto the second-team roster.
Of the 14 spots on the preseason all-conference teams, 11 are comprised by Texas natives. The remaining three positions are occupied by Louisiana, Oklahoma and New York products.
Returning players from the 2018 All-Conference first and second teams are automatically named to the 2019 Preseason all-conference teams. Vacant positions are nominated and voted upon by the conference’s head coaches. Voting for one’s own players is not permitted.
First Team
| Name |
Cl. |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown |
| Mikayla Vivens1 |
Jr. |
OH |
Houston Baptist |
San Antonio, Texas |
| Bethany Clapp1 |
So. |
OH |
UIW |
Corpus Christi, Texas |
| Keegan Nelms1 |
Sr. |
OH |
McNeese |
Santa Fe, Texas |
| Hannah Brister1 |
Jr. |
OH |
Northwestern State |
Paincourtville, La. |
| Danae Daron1 |
Sr. |
MB |
Stephen F. Austin |
Crosby, Texas |
| Ann Hollas1 |
Sr. |
S |
Stephen F. Austin |
Longview, Texas |
| Madison Green1 |
Sr. |
RS/S |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
Dripping Springs, Texas |
Second Team
| Name |
Cl. |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown |
| Katelyn Mueller |
Jr. |
OH |
Abilene Christian |
Sugar Land, Texas |
| Elizabeth Armstrong |
Sr. |
S |
Central Arkansas |
League City, Texas |
| Kelly Colwell |
So. |
OH |
Houston Baptist |
Friendswood, Texas |
| Megan Patillo |
Jr. |
MB |
Houston Baptist |
Bixby, Okla. |
| Breanne Chausse |
So. |
OH/RS |
Sam Houston State |
Coppell, Texas |
| Maddie Miller |
Jr. |
DS |
Stephen F. Austin |
Lorena, Texas |
| Julia Carter |
So. |
MB/OH |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
Buffalo, N.Y. |
1 – 2018 All-Conference Selection