[font=Arimo, Helvetica]BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – To end the 2013 volleyball regular season, Amber Bennett (Alabama State), Luiza Griz (Alabama State), Candyce Alexander (Prairie View A&M) and Kali Fluke (Texas Southern) headline this year's postseason honors receiving the Southwestern Athletic Conference top accolades.[/font][font=Arimo, Helvetica]
Bennett was tabbed Player of the Year with teammate Griz earning Defensive Player of the Year for a consecutive term. Alexander was selected the league's top newcomer while Fluke was voted Freshman of the Year.[/font][font=Arimo, Helvetica] [/font][font=Arimo, Helvetica]The awards, along with first and second-team All-SWAC honors, are voted on by league head coaches and sports information directors.[/font][font=Arimo, Helvetica]
In all, eastern division champions Alabama State had the most selections with five including four on the first-team.
Western division champions, Texas Southern, followed with three selections with two named to the second team. Prairie View A&M and Arkansas-Pine Bluff each notched two picks with Alabama A&M, Jackson State, and Southern rounding out the count with one player apiece.[/font][font=Arimo, Helvetica]
Fifteen players earned postseason honors with two student-athletes tied for a spot on the second team. [/font][font=Arimo, Helvetica]
Bennett finished top three in the SWAC in hitting percentage, kills, and blocks. She led the league with a .346 hitting percentage finishing second in kills, averaging 2.86 per set, while totaling a league best with 346. She also ranked third in blocks per set with .87 while registering a SWAC best with 105 total.
She received eight weekly league awards this season garnering the offensive nod on four occasions while earning the same number for the defensive honor. Her play helped ASU rank second in hitting percentage with .200.[/font][font=Arimo, Helvetica]
Griz earns her second straight SWAC Defensive Player of the Year honor after receiving the title's preseason honor. She helped ASU lead the SWAC in opponent hitting percentage holding teams to a .154 average. Griz led the team in digs with 348 for a 3.00 average per set. For the regular season, she was named defensive player of the week twice receiving consecutive honors.
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[font=Arimo, Helvetica]Alexander ended the regular season as one of PVAMU's top contributors across the team's statistical ranks. She led PVAMU in kills with 246 averaging 2.22 per set. She also ranks third on the team in service aces (21), blocks (57), and hitting percentage (.147).[/font][font=Arimo, Helvetica]
Fluke becomes the second freshman from TSU to earn the award following teammate Robyn Shannon who won SWAC Freshman of the Year in 2012. She helped lead TSU to a conference best .211 team hitting percentage. She currently ranks second in the SWAC in the same category hitting .324 with 167 kills. Her 2.65 kills per set stands third in the conference.[/font][font=Arimo, Helvetica]
Bennett, Griz and Fluke join the All-SWAC Volleyball First Team which includes: Tiara Kelley (Alabama State), Robyn Shannon (Texas Southern), Myla Marshall (Alabama State), and Ashley Forman (Alabama A&M).
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2013 ALL-SWAC VOLLEYBALL FIRST TEAM
POS NAME TEAM
OH Candyce Alexander Prairie View A&M
OH Tiara Kelley Alabama State
OH Robyn Shannon Texas Southern
MB Amber Bennett Alabama State
MB Myla Marshall Alabama State
L Luiza Griz Alabama State
S Ashley Forman Alabama A&M
2013 ALL-SWAC VOLLEYBALL SECOND TEAM
POS NAME TEAM
OH Rachel Smith Alabama State
OH Ashlie Jones Arkansas-Pine Bluff
OH Simone Beasley/Mona Reed Southern/Texas Southern
MB Veronica Azubuike Texas Southern
MB Paige Williams Jackson State
L Courtney Brand Arkansas-Pine Bluff
S Kelsey Espinosa Prairie View A&M
Offensive Player of the Year
Amber Bennett Alabama State
Defensive Player of the Year
Luiza Griz Alabama State
Newcomer of the Year
Candyce Alexander Prairie View A&M
Freshman of the Year
Kali Fluke
Texas Southern
Courtesy: SWAC.org
