Kats take Player & Coach of Year Honors
11/14/2012 2:57:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Wells-Gibson was the top-scorer with 496 points for a Bearkat volleyball team that rolled to a 20-10 overall regular season mark and posted its highest Southland victory total ever with a 15-3 league mark.
The sophomore from San Antonio ranked No. 2 in kills (421) in the Southland and also was No. 10 in digs (339) and No. 12 in aces (34). She totaled double figure kills in 26 of the Bearkats' 30 matches and was a two-time Southland Conference offensive player of the week selection. Wells-Gibson is the first Bearkats to claim the honor since Julie Franzen won after SHSU's 1993 conference championship season.
Gray, one of only 29 active head coaches in NCAA Division I women's volleyball to post more than 500 career victories, to a season of 20 or more victories for the 12th time in her coaching career. The 2012 Sam Houston team rolled up 13 consecutive victories at one point during the march to the conference title. The 13-match winning streak is the longest since SHSU moved up to the Division I level in 1986.
In her 29th year of coaching this year's honor marks her third "Coach of the Year" award in the Southland Conference. After starting the season 3-7, the Bearkats went 17-3 the rest of the season including 12 three-set sweeps. Her 595 career wins ranked third all-time among Southland Conference volleyball coaches.
Kendall Cleveland joined Wells-Gibson as a first team All-Southland Conference selection. The senior from Houston totaled 389 points with 350 kills (3.53 per set) eight aces and 56 total blocks.
Tayler Gray and Kim Black, both Huntsville High School products, were second team selections. As the Bearkats' setter, Gray assisted on 1,162 of Sam Houston's 1,413 kills this year and lead the squad with 383 digs. Black was a force in the middle for the Bearkats, leading the Southland Conference in total blocks (140). She stands No. 2 at Sam Houston in career blocks.
Kaylee Hawkins, a senior outside hitter from Dickinson, was named honorable mention All-Southland Conference. Hawkins has received All-Southland honors three of her four seasons as a Bearkat.
Sam Houston is the No. 2 seed in the Southland Conference post-season tournament this weekend in Conway, Arkansas.
The Bearkats open play Friday at 11 a.m. against No. 7 seed Nicholls State. The tournament semifinals will be played Saturday with the finals at 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
2012 Southland Conference Volleyball Superlative Awards
Coach of the Year: Brenda Gray, Sam Houston State
Player of the Year: Deveney Wells-Gibson, Sam Houston State
Freshman of the Year: Courtney Moore, Lamar
Newcomer of the Year: Courtni Bauer, McNeese State
Libero of the Year: Bruna Silva, Oral Robert
Setter of the Year: Marissa Collins, Central Arkansas
First Team
|
Name |
School |
Class |
Hometown |
|
Sam Houston State |
So. |
San Antonio, Texas |
|
|
Jessica Hays |
Central Arkansas |
Sr. |
Friendswood, Texas |
|
Marissa Collins |
Central Arkansas |
Jr. |
Pearland, Texas |
|
Sheina Fernandes |
Oral Roberts |
Sr. |
Porto Alegre, Brazil |
|
Jill Ivy |
Stephen F. Austin |
So. |
Katy, Texas |
|
Sam Houston State |
Sr. |
Houston, Texas |
|
|
Stacey DiFrancesco |
Northwestern State |
So. |
The Woodlands, Texas |
|
Bruna Silva |
Oral Roberts |
Jr. |
Niteroi, Brazil |
|
Shannon Hullum |
A&M-Corpus Christi |
Sr. |
Van, Texas |
|
Courtney Donald |
Southeastern La |
Jr. |
Tomball, Texas |
|
Keelie Arneson |
Northwestern St |
So. |
Spring, Texas |
|
Alicia Dittrich |
Central Arkansas |
So. |
Houston, Texas |
Second Team
|
Name |
School |
Class |
Hometown |
|
Jennifer Brandt |
Nicholls State |
Sr. |
Wallis, Texas |
|
Sam Houston State |
Jr. |
Huntsville, Texas |
|
|
Madison Hanlan |
Stephen F. Austin |
Sr. |
Arlington, Texas |
|
Sabrina Burns |
Stephen F. Austin |
Sr. |
McAlester, Okla. |
|
Brooke Alverson |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
Jr. |
Rhome, Texas |
|
Sam Houston State |
Sr. |
Huntsville, Texas |
Honorable Mention: Brianna Brink, OH, A&M-Corpus Christi; Taylor Hammonds, MB, Central Arkansas; Emily Sweet, S, Northwestern State; Laura Taylor, S, Oral Roberts; Kaylee Hawkins, OH, Sam Houston State; Caiti O'Connell, OH, Northwestern State; Tori Bates, OH, Stephen F. Austin; Megan McMillin, L, Southeastern Louisiana; Sarah Terry, MB, Nicholls State; Courtni Bauer, MB, McNeese State; Cortney Moore, MB, Lamar.
