NEW ORLEANS – Sun Belt Conference volleyball capped off a season of impressive performances with the unveiling of its 2018 postseason honors on Tuesday.
 
Earning top individual honors are Little Rock senior middle blocker Veronica Marin (Player of the Year), Arkansas State senior outside hitter Carlisa May (Offensive Player of the Year), Coastal Carolina senior defensive specialist Sydney Alvis (Defensive Player of the Year), Texas State freshman setter Emily DeWalt (Setter and Freshman of the Year), Appalachian State senior setter Becky Porter (Newcomer of the Year) and Texas State head coach Karen Chisum (Coach of the Year) in a vote by the league’s head coaches.
 
Marin, May, Alvis, DeWalt and Porter garnered All-Sun Belt first-team recognition as well.
 
Marin has led NCAA Division I in total blocks for the majority of the season. She tops the nation with 177 total blocks and ranks sixth in blocks per set (1.57). Her 47 block solos rank second in the nation. She ranks second in the Sun Belt and 18th in the nation in hitting percentage (.393) and boasts the third-most points (433) in the conference.
 
Earning Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year honors for a third-straight season, May remains one of the top hitters in the country in her final season with the Red Wolves. She is the school’s all-time leader in kills with 1,814, which ranks second among active Division I players and fifth among active players across all divisions. Among the Division I national leaders, May ranks fourth in kills (497), sixth in points (548.), ninth in kills per set (4.73) and 10th in points per set (5.22).
 
Alvis is the first Chanticleer to win Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year honors. She leads the leads the league in digs per set in conference only matches (5.02) and ranks fourth in all matches (4.13). Her 0.31 service aces per set in conference only matches ranks tied for sixth in the conference. Alvis was selected Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week three times this season.
 
DeWalt is having a breakout season in her rookie campaign with the Bobcats, ranking second in assists (1,130) and third in assists per set (10.27). She set the Sun Belt single-season record for weekly awards with 11 (six Setter of the Week, five Freshman of the Week). DeWalt became the first player in school history and just the fourth player in Sun Belt history to be named American Volleyball Coaches Association National Player of the Week when she was bestowed the honor on Oct. 2.
 
Porter is making a big impact in her first season with the Mountaineers. She leads the conference and ranks 41st in the nation in assists per set (10.71). Porter has posted six contests with 50 or more assists and a team-high eight double-doubles, including four in conference play.
 
 
Chisum has guided Texas State to the third-most wins in the nation (24) en route to securing the Sun Belt regular-season and West Division titles. She led the Bobcats on a 17-match win streak, which was third-longest in school history and the longest since 2000. Her Texas State squad closed the regular season ranked 26th in the NCAA RPI.
 
The postseason honors were announced ahead of the 2018 Sun Belt Volleyball Championship, which gets underway on Thursday, Nov. 15, at the GSU Sports Arena in Atlanta on the campus of Georgia State. All seven tournament matches are set for live coverage on ESPN+. Follow the championship action via Twitter (@SunBelt) or live stats available on SunBeltSports.org.
 
2018 SUN BELT VOLLEYBALL POSTSEASON HONORS
All-Sun Belt First Team
Emma Longley, Appalachian State (Jr., OH, Raleigh, N.C.)
Becky Porter, Appalachian State (Sr., S, Charlotte, N.C.)
Veronica Marin, Little Rock (Sr., MB, Tulcea, Romania)
Carlisa May, Arkansas State (Sr., OH, Lee's Summit, Mo.)
Sydney Alvis, Coastal Carolina (Sr., DS, Maidans, Va.)
Kyla Manning, Coastal Carolina (So., OH, Atlanta, Ga.)
Anett Nemeth, Coastal Carolina (Fr., OH, Pecel, Hungary)
Madison Hill, UTA (Jr., MB, Rockwall, Texas)
Madison Daigle, Texas State (Sr., MB, Baton Rouge, La.)
Emily DeWalt, Texas State (Fr., S, Helotes, Texas)
Cheyenne Huskey, Texas State (Jr., OH/S, Columbus, Texas)
Janell Fitzgerald, Texas State (Fr., OH, Mansfield, Texas)

All-Sun Belt Second Team
Emma Reilly, Appalachian State (So., DS, Evergreen Park, Ill.)
Kara Spicer, Appalachian State (So., MB, Peoria, Ariz.)
Carol Barbosa, Little Rock (Jr., MH, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Ellie Watkins, Arkansas State (Sr., S, Weldon Spring, Mo.)
Lauren Reichard, Georgia Southern (Sr., MH, Wrightsville, Pa.)
Hanna Rovira, Louisiana (Sr., OH, Baton Rouge, La.)
Hali Wisnoskie, Louisiana (So., OH, Columbus, Texas)
Kelley Hartman, South Alabama (Jr., MB, Woodstock, Ga.)
Cheyenne Hayes, Troy (So., OH, Newnan, Ga.)
Zhanelle Geathers, UTA (Sr., MB, Lindale, Texas)
Kylie Jedlicka, UTA (Jr., OH, League City, Texas)
Amy Pflughaupt, Texas State (Sr., OH, El Campo, Texas)
 
Sun Belt Player of the Year
Veronica Marin, Little Rock (Sr., MB, Tulcea, Romania)
 
Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year
Carlisa May, Arkansas State (Sr., OH, Lee's Summit, Mo.)

Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year
Sydney Alvis, Coastal Carolina (Sr., DS, Maidans, Va.)

Sun Belt Setter and Freshman of the Year
Emily DeWalt, Texas State (Fr., S, Helotes, Texas)

Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year
Becky Porter, Appalachian State (Sr., S, Charlotte, N.C.)
 
Sun Belt Coach of the Year
Karen Chisum, Texas State