WINTER PARK, Fla. – By navigating the 22nd-ranked Eckerd College volleyball program through a regular season with various records and superlatives, Head Coach Courtney Draper was named the Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year as the all-league team was unveiled on Thursday morning.
Sophomore outside hitter
Lindsay Biggs and junior middle blocker
Alex Laton each garnered First-Team All-SSC honors while the senior trio of libero
Hallie Ward, setter
Bri Smith, and right-side hitter
Ariana Chinn, were all voted with Second-Team All-SSC plaudits.
Freshman right-side hitter
Ali McAlvany was chosen to the SSC All-Newcomer Team.
Including the All-Newcomer Team, a total of 22 student-athletes were tabbed to the All-SSC Team through voting by SSC head coaches and sports information directors.
“I'm so pleased for our seniors (Chinn, Smith, Ward) because they might not have dominated one particular stat column, but the voters realize these girls are leaders and it plays into their personality and character,” Draper said. “Lindsay is an amazing athlete, Alex emerged as a real force and Ali is one of the best new kids in the conference.”
Draper received SSC Coach of the Year honors for the first time in her eight-year tenure. She guided the program to its first-ever win over the University of Tampa, who was undefeated and ranked No. 1 at the time.
Draper guided the Tritons to a 25-4 overall record, including a 13-3 conference mark. EC reeled off a program-best 14-match win streak under her direction and reversed a 2-14 SSC record compiled last year.
“It really didn't have as much to do with me, but more with the success that our girls wanted to have this year,” she said. “We struggled last year, but they made a commitment and decided to make a change.”
Biggs finished third in the SSC Player of the Year voting only behind Rollins' Megan Hodges and Tampa's Danielle Selkridge. The two-time SSC Offensive Player of the Week and AVCA National Player of the Week led the Tritons with 320 kills and was second with 295 digs.
By averaging over a block per set and hitting .307 on the offensive end, Laton's breakout junior campaign helped the Tritons rank second in the SSC in attacking percentage (.272) and opponent hitting percentage (.188).
Smith was strongly recognized by the league's coaches in the voting for her role in the Tritons' two-setter formation. She finished the regular season by averaging 6.26 assists per set (651 total).
Chinn and McAlvany were relentless from the right side and combined to crush a combined 474 kills. They also emerged as defensive forces on the front line and totaled 70 (Chinn) and 59 (McAlvany) blocks, respectively.
Ward was the backbone of the back row on defense and dug out 398 attack attempts, good for an average of 3.79 per set. She was also an SSC Defensive Player of the Week this season.
The second-seeded Tritons are gearing up for their opening-round match at the NCAA Tournament South Regional this afternoon in Tampa, as No. 7 seed Christian Brothers (Tenn.) University awaits for a 2:30 p.m. showdown.
2011 ALL-SUNSHINE STATE CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM
OH - Lindsay Biggs, Eckerd, Sophomore
MB - Danielle Bletso, Saint Leo, Senior
OH - Megan Hodges, Rollins, Sophomore
MH - Lauren Huber, Florida Southern, Senior
MB - Alex Laton, Eckerd, Junior
MH - Danielle Selkridge, Tampa, Junior
L - Julie Howlett, Tampa, Senior
Player of the Year - Danielle Selkridge, Tampa
Newcomer of the Year - Kahley Patrick, Tampa
Freshman of the Year - Kahley Patrick, Tampa
Coach of the Year -
Courtney Draper, Eckerd
SECOND TEAM
MB - Brittany Brown, Lynn, Junior
RS - Ariana Chinn, Eckerd, Senior
OH - Eva Dupay, Tampa, Senior
MB - Danielle Graham, Nova Southeastern, Junior
S - Bri Smith, Eckerd, Senior
OH - Jessica Yingling, Tampa, Junior
L - Hallie Ward, Eckerd, Senior
HONORABLE MENTION
L - Emily Calderon-Reyes, Saint Leo, Senior
L - Phoebe Corder, Rollins, Senior
ALL-NEWCOMER TEAM
MB - Brittany Brown, Lynn, Junior
MH - Meagan Burke, Tampa, Freshman
RS - Ali McAlvany, Eckerd, Freshman
S - Kahley Patrick, Tampa, Freshman
RS - Tania Torres, Barry, Junior
MB - Jessica Wilson, Rollins, Freshman
