Ridley earns First Team All-Southland honors following senior season
Emma Ridley was named First Team All-Southland on Wednesday afternoon following a vote of the league coaches and sports information directors. It is the second-straight first team honor for Ridley after being one of the most dominant offensive players in the conference for the second year in-a-row.
Ridley repeated as a first team member after leading the league in kills per set with 3.95 and finishing second in overall kills with 415 this season. In conference-only matches, she was tops in both categories with 263 kills and 4.38 kills per set.
Her offensive production helped the Islanders improve their record to 12-18 overall and 5-11 in Southland matches. The team just missed the Southland tournament after improving their league win total by three wins from the last two seasons and adding three wins to their overall total in head coach Tony Graystone's second year at the school.
Ridley finished her career with 879 kills and in fourth place among the Islanders all-time leaders. Her 4.13 career kills per set average is the highest ever in school history, bettering the 3.48 mark previously set by Christie Feliz. Her 547 digs also places her in 10th place all-time in the record book as she was a significant contributor both on the offensive and defensive side of the net.
Numerous single-match records were set as well, with Ridley tying the mark for most kills in a single match with 27 last season and setting a new mark for kills in a four-set match with 26 this year against Stephen F. Austin in the Islanders first-ever win over the Ladyjacks. She just missed the first 20-30 match in Islanders history when she had 20 kills and 29 digs against UT Arlington during the 2010 season.
"She had a great season and we are really proud of what she has done here," said Graystone. "We are sorry that she is a senior and won't be getting her back.
"She left a really strong mark on the program, and set a nice example for the younger players to strive to be like."
2010 All-Southland Conference Volleyball Teams
|
First Team |
|
|
|
|
|
Name |
School |
Pos. |
Cl. |
Hometown/Prev. School |
|
Chloe Smith4 |
Central Arkansas |
RS |
Sr. |
San Diego, Calif./Academy of Our Lady of Peace |
|
Kendra Rowland3 |
UTSA |
OH |
Sr. |
Antioch, Calif./Deer Valley |
|
Jessica Hays |
Central Arkansas |
OH |
Jr. |
Friendswood, Texas/Friendswood |
|
A.J. Watlington |
Texas State |
OH |
Sr. |
Aledo, Texas/Aledo |
|
Carli Kolbe2 |
Sam Houston State |
OH |
Jr. |
College Station, Texas/A&M Consolidated |
|
Kelsey Jewasko2 |
UTSA |
L |
Jr. |
San Antonio, Texas/East Central |
|
Marissa Collins |
Central Arkansas |
S |
Fr. |
Pearland, Texas/Pearland |
|
Emma Ridley2 |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
OH |
Sr. |
Phoenix, Ariz./Tulsa |
|
Jayme Bazile |
Lamar |
MB |
So. |
Beaumont, Texas/Ozen |
|
Kelsey Schwirtlich |
UTSA |
S |
So. |
Corpus Christi, Texas/Calallen |
|
Amari Deardorff |
Texas State |
RS |
Fr. |
Austin, Texas/Westwood |
|
Amanda Aguilera2 |
UT Arlington |
OH |
Jr. |
Pearland, Texas/Pearland |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Second Team |
|
|
|
|
|
Name |
School |
Pos. |
Cl. |
Hometown/Prev. School |
|
Alicia Shaffer |
UT Arlington |
L |
Jr. |
Magnolia, Texas/Magnolia |
|
Amber Calhoun2 |
Texas State |
MB |
Jr. |
Houston, Texas/Second Baptist |
|
Bianca Sauls |
UT Arlington |
OH |
Sr. |
Pflugerville, Texas/Pflugerville |
|
Cristin Curl2 |
Central Arkansas |
L |
Jr. |
Amarillo, Texas/Tascosa |
|
M.C. Bottles3 |
Stephen F. Austin |
MB |
Jr. |
Rowlett, Texas/Rowlett |
|
Danielle Daigle |
Nicholls |
L |
Jr. |
Napoleonville, La./Assumption |
2Two-time all-conference
3Three-time all-conference
4Four-time all-conference
Honorable Mention: Taylor Hammonds, Central Arkansas; Christina Hobbs, Lamar; Katie Kennedy, McNeese State; Becky Bekelja, McNeese State; Laranda Spann, Northwestern State; Kaylee Hawkins, Sam Houston State; Kim Black, Sam Houston State; Whitney Walls, UTSA; Briana Mason, UTSA.
Individual Award Winners
Player of the Year - Chloe Smith, Central Arkansas
Libero of the Year - Kelsey Jewasko, UTSA
Freshman of the Year - Marissa Collins, Central Arkansas
Setter of the Year - Marissa Collins, Central Arkansas
Newcomer of the Year - Christina Hobbs, Lamar
Coach of the Year - Steven McRoberts, Central Arkansas
