NEW ORLEANS - The Sun Belt Conference announced its Volleyball All-Conference teams and individual award winners on Thursday ahead of the start of the 2016 Volleyball Championship on Friday at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.
The All-Conference Team and individual award winners were voted on by the league’s 12 coaches.
Coastal Carolina junior Leah Hardeman took home Player of the Year honors in her first year of competition in the Sun Belt. Hardeman finished second in the league in kills per set (3.71) in overall matches and led the league in Sun Belt matches with 214 kills in 52 sets. She was third overall in league play with 20 aces and finished fourth in hitting percentage (.366) as she helped lead the Chanticleers to a 24-4 record and a 15-1 league record and the East division crown.
Arkansas State's Carlisa May was named the league's Offensive Player of the Year after guiding the Red Wolves to the West division title. May led the league in kills with 403 and kills per set (3.88) which placed her in the top 75 in the NCAA this season. The 2015 Freshman of the Year, May earned two Offensive Player of the Week nods in 2016.
May's teammate, Markie Schaedig, was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year for the third consecutive season. Schaedig finished 2016 with 557 digs (5.30 per set) which is just outside the Red Wolves top 10 for most in school history. She led the league in digs per set. Additionally, the senior tallied 97 assists and recorded just 13 reception errors in 105 sets.
ASU's Mallory Warrington also earned her second consecutive honor as the redshirt senior was named the league's Setter of the Year after posting an unprecedented year. She finished the season with a league-high 1,253 assists which ranked third overall in the NCAA. Her 11.93 assists per set ranked second in the NCAA. She won nine Setter of the Week awards this season. Her 308 digs rank second on the team behind Schaedig.
ASU's Kenzie Fields took home the honors for Freshman of the Year. It was the second consecutive season the Red Wolves claimed the Freshman of the Year honor, as May earned the honor last season. Fields finished second on the team in kills with 262 and was fourth on the team in digs with 210. The outside hitter played in 98 sets this season and led the team in service aces with 25.
Tahleia Bishop of Coastal Carolina was named the league's Newcomer of the Year, an honor that was re-instituted this season. Bishop, a University of Buffalo transfer, was third on the Chanticleers with 214 kills in 86 sets played. She had 141 kills during league play for an average of 2.76 per set. She added 81 digs (1.59 per set) during league play.
ASU's David Rehr earned his second consecutive Coach of the Year honor after leading the Red Wolves to a 23-7 overall record and a 15-1 league mark for the 2016 season. The Red Wolves claimed the West division crown and the tournament's top overall seed for the second consecutive season. Rehr's Red Wolves have combined to win 51 matches over the past two seasons, including 31 in league play.
All matches of the 2016 Volleyball Championship will be broadcasted live by ESPN3 and will be available on WatchESPN and the ESPN app. The first match is set for Friday, Nov. 18 at 12 p.m. (CT) with third-seeded Texas State taking on sixth-seeded South Alabama. No. 2 Coastal Carolina will face No. 7 Georgia Southern at 2:30 p.m. (CT) and top-seeded Arkansas State will square-off with eighth-seeded Georgia State at 5:00 p.m. (CT). Tournament host and No. 4 seed UT Arlington will host No. 5 Little Rock at 7:30 p.m. (CT).
Semifinal matches will be conducted on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 4:00 p.m. (CT) and 6:30 p.m. (CT) with Sunday's finale scheduled for 1:00 p.m. (CT).
First Team All-Conference
*Edina Selimovic (Little Rock, Senior, MB)
*Carlisa May (Arkansas State, Sophomore, OH)
*Kelsey Reis (Arkansas State, Senior, MB)
*Markie Schaedig (Arkansas State, Senior, L/DS)
*Mallory Warrington (Arkansas State, Senior, S)
Leah Hardeman (Coastal Carolina, Junior, OH)
Annayka Legros (Coastal Carolina, Senior, MB)
Kelsey Weynand (Texas State, Senior, OH
Second Team All-Conference
**Carolee Dillard (Little Rock, Redshirt Senior, MB)
Kenzie Fields (Arkansas State, Freshman, OH)
Tahleia Bishop (Coastal Carolina, Senior, OH)
**Alex Beecher (Georgia Southern, Senior, L/DS)
**Mechell Daniel (South Alabama, Senior, OH)
Qiana Cañete (UT Arlington, Junior, OH)
Erin Hoppe (Texas State, Junior, S)
Lauren Kirch (Texas State, Senior, MB)
Player of the Year
Leah Hardeman (Coastal Carolina, Junior, OH)
Offensive Player of the Year
Carlisa May (Arkansas State, Sophomore, OH)
Defensive Player of the Year
Markie Schaedig (Arkansas State, Senior, L/DS)
Setter of the Year
Mallory Warrington (Arkansas State, Senior, S)
Freshman of the Year
Kenzie Fields (Arkansas State, Freshman, OH)
Newcomer of the Year
Tahleia Bishop (Coastal Carolina, Senior, OH)
Coach of the Year
David Rehr, Arkansas State
* - 2015 First Team All-Conference selection
** - 2015 Second Team All-Conference selection