JONESBORO, Ark. (11/16/11) – Arkansas State head volleyball coach Justin
Ingram was named the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year, while senior Cayla
Fielder earned All-Sun Belt Conference first team honors and junior Allison
Kearney and sophomore Ashley Tipps were named as second team selections, the
league announced at its annual awards banquet Wednesday night.
Under Ingram's guidance, ASU has won at least a share of the West
Division crown in each of the last three seasons, including this year's
outright divisional crown. Ingram led the Red Wolves to a 21-9 overall record
and a perfect 8-0 home slate.
Fielder finished the regular season as the team leader with 387 kills
and a 3.49 kills per set average. She also led the team with 108 blocks,
including 14 unassisted and totaled 76 digs and 23 service aces. The senior
middle blocker ranks first in the conference with a .397 hitting percentage,
which also ranks as the 12th best percentage in the nation. Fielder
was named as a preseason All-SBC selection this year as well as earning an SBC
Player of the Week honor. She was also the first A-State player to be named the
College Volleyball Update Player of the Week.
Kearney directed the A-State attacking game this season in her second
season as the Red Wolves' setter. She finished the regular season with 977
assists and a 9.22 assists per set average. She was second on the team with 238
digs and finished with 37 kills. She led the team with 42 service aces and her
0.40 aces per set average ranks third in the conference.
Tipps finished the regular season with 241 kills and a 2.27 kills per
set average. She ranked eighth in the Sun Belt Conference with a .308 attacking
percentage and her .319 percentage against conference teams ranked seventh in
the conference.
Western Kentucky's Jordyn Skinner and Ashley Potts were selected as the
league's Player of the Year and Defensive Player of The Year, while
Arkansas-Little Rock's Edina Begic took home the Freshman of the Year honor.
The A-State volleyball squad will travel to the Sun Belt Conference
Championship Tournament this week, seeded third and is set to take on North
Texas Thursday, Nov. 17 at 1:30 p.m. All matches will be available for
webstream on SBC Extra and fans can purchase a tournament pass for only $9.95
to tune-in. The championship match at 1 p.m. ET/ 12 p.m. CT will also be
broadcast by the Sun Belt Network (times subject to change due to television
demands). Network (times subject to change due to television demands).
All-Sun Belt Conference Team
First Team
Cayla Fielder, Arkansas State
Faimie Kingsley, Denver
Jovana Bjelica, FIU
Ashley Adams, Middle Tennessee
Maria Szivos, Middle Tennessee
Tiffany Elmore, WKU
Jordyn Skinner, WKU
Melanie Stutsman, WKU
Second Team
Edina Begic, UALR
Ashley Tipps, Arkansas State
Allison Kearney, Arkansas State
Oyinlola Oladinni, Middle Tennessee
Eboni Godfrey, North Texas
Courtney Cohen, Troy
Ashley Potts, WKU
Lindsay Williams, WKU
Freshman of the Year: Edina
Begic, UALR
Defensive Player of the Year: Ashley Potts, WKU
Player of the Year: Jordyn Skinner, WKU
Coach of the Year: Justin
Ingram, Arkansas State
