The Lewis-Clark State College volleyball team picked up two major awards and placed three players on the all-conference first team, Frontier Conference officials announced on Friday. LaToya Harris was named the Coach of the Year, and Lauryn Herrick was chosen as the Player of the Year.
Harris (left photo), in her first season at the reins, led the Warriors to a 13-1 league mark and the regular season title. She currently has her team ranked No. 7 in the NAIA as they compete for a fifth straight conference tournament title. This stands as the fifth consecutive season that LCSC has won the Coach of the Year Award as former coach Jen Greeny took home the honor in each of the four seasons she was at LC.
Herrick (right photo), a 5-foot-11 senior from Cypress, Calif., finished tied for first in the Frontier in service aces, 0.6 per set, and hitting percentage, .304. With 52 aces on the year, her aces per set clip stands as tied for third best in the NAIA. The outside hitter also was tied for fourth in the Frontier Conference in kills per set with 2.8. Her selection marks the fourth time in the last five years that LCSC has won the Player of the Year Award. Along with Herrick, middle blocker Nicole Graybeal and outside hitter Kelli Tikker were named first-team all-conference.
Graybeal, a 6-foot-2 senior from Spokane, Wash., and last year’s FC Player of the Year, missed close to half of the regular season due to an injury but still was able to put up strong numbers. She led the team with 35 blocks assists, was second in solo blocks with 16, third in service aces with 10, and third on the team in hitting percentage at .261.
Tikker, a 5-foot-9 senior from Nine Mile Falls, Wash., led the Warriors with 261 kills and was second in the conference with 3.3 kills per set. She also led the team with 236 digs, and was second in aces at 24.
LCSC right-side hitter Brianne Brown was a second-team selection, and middle blocker Chelsea Strong was named to the all-freshman team.
Brown, a 5-foot-9 junior from Spokane, Wash., was third for LCSC in kills with 178, and fourth in hitting percentage at .232.
Strong, a 6-footer from Gresham, Ore., led the team with 17 solo blocks and was second in block assists with 32. She also was fifth in kills with 65.
First Team
Ellie Graff, Carroll College, So, middle blocker; Bozeman, Mont.
Markki Otteson, Carroll College, Sr, middle blocker; Pocatello, Idaho
Nicole Graybeal, Lewis-Clark State, Sr., middle blocker; Spokane, Wash.
Lauryn Herrick, Lewis-Clark State, Sr, outside hitter; Cypress, Calif.
Kelli Tikker, Lewis-Clark State, Sr, outside hitter; Nine Mile Falls, Wash.
Hillary Islefson, Montana State-Northern, Jr, right side; Carlye, Saskatchewan
Kristin Barott, Rocky Mountain College, Sr, setter, West Richland, Wash.
Jillian Bates, Rocky Mountain College, Sr, outside hitter; Billings, Mont.
Sara Brunner, Rocky Mountain College, Sr, outside hitter; Redcliff, Alberta
Taylor Lucero, University of Great Falls, Sr., middle hitter; Fresno, Calif.
Kelsey VanUden, University of Great Falls, Jr, outside hitter; Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Ashley Marchant, Westminster College, Jr, outside hitter; Sandy, Utah
Second Team
Kristin Telin, Carroll College, Sr, outside hitter; Spokane, Wash.
Caitlin Tocci, Carroll College, Sr, setter; Billings, Mont.
Brianne Brown, Lewis-Clark State College, Jr, right side; Spokane, Wash.
Jillian Stanek, Rocky Mountain College, Sr, middle blocker; Shepherd, Mont.
Ashley Welborn, Rocky Mountain College, Sr, outside hitter; Billings, Mont.
Kyndall Kordakis, Westminster College, So, libero; Placerville, Calif.
All-Freshman Team
Kathleen Mulligan, Carroll College, Fr, outside hitter; Des Moines, Wash.
Chelsea Strong, Lewis-Clark State College, Fr, middle blocker; Gresham, Ore.
Emily Lobnitz, Montana Tech, Fr, middle blocker; Sunnyvale, Texas
Anna Dewald, Rocky Mountain College, Fr, middle blocker; Windsor, Colo.
Alyssa McEwan, University of Great Falls, Fr, right side; Bountiful, Utah
Alexis Aalona, Westminster College, Fr, outside hitter; Salt Lake City, Utah
