DENVER – The UAFS volleyball team has concluded a historic season as the Lady Lions fell against the regional top seed and host of the NCAA Regional Tournament – Regis University by the score of 17-25, 17-25, 22-25. The Lady Lions finish the season with a 27-7 record and a highest regional seed (4) in the Division II history of the program.

The Lady Lions scored overall 44 points and hit a .102 clip with 32 kills on 128 attempts and 19 errors. The team-leaders in kills were Rachel Williams (10), Lexie Johnston (7), and Anna Demmer (5) while Amanda Van Wyk led the Lady Lions in assists (18).

Defensively, as a team UAFS allowed their opponent .298 hitting percentage with 47 kills on 121 total attacks and only 11 errors. The Lady Lions recorded five total blocks and 55 digs, led by Van Wyk (17), Demmer (13) and Lexy Lewis(10).

“It’s always disappointing when a successful season comes to an end. However, this team accomplished so much: our first Lone Star Divisional Championship,highest seed in an NCAA tournament, and being a regional semifinalist,” said UAFS Athletic Director Curtis Janz. “When I remember this team, I will remember their resilience, their leadership, and the joy with which they played the game. This is a very special group of ladies led by an exceptional coaching staff.”

As the Lady Lions conclude the 2019 season with the highest seed in the program’s Division II history, here are some of the statistical leaders for the season:

Kills: Anna Demmer (421), Rachel Williams (335) Lexie Johnston (332)
Assists: Amanda Van Wyk (1155)
Aces: Amanda Van Wyk (43), Erin Black (30), Lexy Lewis (24)
Digs: Lexy Lewis (413), Anna Demmer (408), Amanda Van Wyk (386)
Blocks: Lexie Johnston (132), Anna Demmer (82), Amanda Van Wyk (71)

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FORT SMITH – UAFS Athletics and Riggs CAT of Fort Smith will host Buckets of Hope donation drive on Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. at Stubblefield Center during the Lone Star Conference volleyball matches.

UAFS Volleyball team will match up against St, Mary’s on Friday and St. Edward’s on Saturday. Admissions to the volleyball games will be FREE with a canned food or baby supply donation which will be collected at the front-door ticket office at Stubblefield Center. All donations will benefit local Community Services Clearinghouse, Earthbound Angels and Lions Pride Pantry.

For more information, contact Christy Williams at 479-788-7022.

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FORT SMITH – The University of Arkansas- Fort Smith cross country teams took the titles at Saturday’s Fort Smith Invitational. The Invitational, only the second hosted by UAFS in school history, opened the the 2019 season for the Lions and Lady Lions.

Senior Kandace Young set the pace in the women’s five kilometer competition, earning individual honors with a time of 20:52. Freshman Kari Sosa and Junior Morgan Fagen finished second and third with respective times of 22:01.01 and 22:20.08. Senior Cami Hedstrom finished fourth with a time of 22:31.3 while Freshman Megan Thompson rounded out the field at fifth finishing with a time of 22:58.6.

Senior Will Phillips earned the individual title in the men’s eight kilometer competition running the race in 28:30.2. Freshman Shad Cates and Senior Oliver Perezfinished second and third with respective times of 30:08 and 30:22.4. Freshman Nathaniel Gonzalez finished fourth with a time of 31:19.2 while Alfredo Gallegos, also a Freshman, finished fifth with a time of 31:33.5.

UAFS’ travel to Joplin, Missouri on Saturday, Sept. 21 to compete in the Missouri Southern State University Stampede.

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RICHARDSON, Texas– The Lone Star Conference officially expanded to 19 member institutions today with the addition of Dallas Baptist University, Lubbock Christian University, Oklahoma Christian University, St. Edward’s University, St. Mary’s University, Texas A&M International University, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, and University of Texas at Tyler.

      With 19 members, the LSC will become the biggest conference in NCAA Division II.  The LSC, founded on April 25, 1931, started as a five-member conference of Texas-based schools and with the latest expansion will become a 19-member league with 14 members in Texas, two in Oklahoma, two in New Mexico, and one in Arkansas.

      “This is a historic day for the Lone Star Conference as we welcome eight new members and become the largest and most dynamic conference in NCAA Division II,” said LSC Commissioner Jay Poerner. “Individually and collectively, our 19 member institutions embody the very best in Division II with a shared commitment to community, academics and athletics excellence.”

      The LSC conducts conference championships in 18 sports (nine men and nine women). Men’s championships include football, cross country, soccer, basketball, baseball, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, golf and tennis. Women’s titles are determined in volleyball, soccer, cross country, basketball, softball, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, tennis and golf.

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FORT SMITH – UAFS Director of Athletics Curtis Janz announced Tuesday morning that Jim Boone has been hired as men’s basketball head coach.

Boone recently completed his seventh season as head men’s basketball coach at NCAA Division II Delta State University, guiding the Statesmen to a 19-12 overall record, a 12-8 Gulf South Conference record, the Gulf South Conference Tournament Championship and their 17^th berth in the NCAA Division II National Tournament.

“Not long after the coaching search began, Coach Boone became an intriguing candidate. He has built championship programs at many NCAA Division II institutions and has always done it with integrity. I believe Coach Boone is a perfect fit with me and the rest of our athletic department,” Janz said.

Boone, a native of Winfield, W.Va., has been a collegiate head coach for 33 seasons at the NCAA Division I and II levels. He finished this past season with 558 career wins, which ranks him 14^th among active NCAA Division II coaches in wins and among NCAA Division II’s Top 40 All-Time Winningest Coaches.

“Everything excites me about the university from the gorgeous campus, the direction of the athletics program under the leadership of Curtis Janz and his staff, the outstanding tradition of UAFS basketball and the entire Fort Smith community. The day I toured Fort Smith and walked through campus I knew immediately it was a very special place and a tremendous opportunity for our family,” Boone said.

“We can’t wait to immerse ourselves in the university, in the community and in building on previous relationships and creating new ones with the high school basketball coaches of the state and surrounding areas. We are so excited to roll our sleeves up and get to work on building an elite program. This is truly a university where we can have it all – a championship basketball program, represented by quality student-athletes and built with great integrity to last for long-term.”

Boone inherits a UAFS team that featured only one senior on its 12-player roster. The Lions finished 10-19 overall and 4-12 in the Heartland Conference and earned their eighth-consecutive berth in the Heartland Conference Tournament, losing to eventual tournament runner-up Dallas Baptist in the first round.

“Our vision is to build a championship quality program, a program that will compete for conference, regional and national prominence. We do not have a specific time-table or short-range goals, but I can tell you that we will hit the ground running to create a championship culture that will produce a program that has the foundation to last, a program that will be built with great integrity,” Boone said. “And, we will produce a championship-caliber program that will be among the nation’s elite, a program that our university and our community will be very proud of.”

UAFS, along with six other Heartland Conference teams, will begin its first season as a member of the 19-team Lone Star Conference beginning this fall. The Lone Star Conference will be the largest conference in NCAA Division II.

“Coach Boone will develop an elite level basketball program here at UAFS,” Janz said. “He is a program builder and develops student-athletes on and off the court, but what is most impressive is the culture that he builds within the basketball program. That culture will make our overall athletic culture stronger.”
Boone said the Lions will be fundamentally-sound and will emphasize a hard-working offense that emphasizes playing together, sharing the basketball and taking great shots.

“Offensively, we will play a style that our fans and the Fort Smith community will identify with and will love. We are a program that is founded upon simplicity, fundamentals and their execution. We work to develop our players to maximize their abilities and to put them into positions to enhance their strengths,” Boone said.

“We are not as much about running plays as we are about teaching our players how to play. It is our belief that players win games in March, not plays. We will be a hard-working offense that shares the basketball, we will play together and value teamwork, we will value taking care of the ball and we will take great shots. We’re going to be a lot of fun to watch as our players develop both individually and collectively throughout the season.”

Boone’s teams have been noted for their defensive toughness, and he said the Lions will be as well.

“We pride ourselves on being a defensive program that is rooted in a blue collar work ethic, that will be mentally and physically tough and that will be among the nation’s very best,” Boone said. “We will play all man-to-man. It’s what we do, it’s our trademark, it’s who we are and it’s our identity. We will be a great defensive team”

As a NCAA Division II head coach, Boone has compiled a 466-251 record, leading four NCAA Division II programs to the NCAA Division II National Tournament. The next few weeks will be busy for Boone as he looks to lay the foundation for his new team.

“The first two weeks are always like a whirlwind. There is so much to do, and it’s important to remain focused on our priorities and on creating a championship culture,” Boone said. “Obviously, one of our most important objectives will be to meet our new team and to let them know that they are a part of our family now and that they are our guys. We want to lay out the pillars of our culture – hard work, toughness, passion and unity.  As well, recruiting will be important, not just for now, but for building the relationships that will make tomorrow’s recruiting successful.”

He said he also will use the next few weeks to begin building relationships with the area’s high school coaches.

“We will utilize this period to meet as many coaches as we can in our immediate area, while completing our roster for the coming season and building a championship culture. It’s all about people and leadership. We want to do our due diligence in selecting the right people, young men of character and integrity that fit our culture,” Boone said. “We will hire our staff, and, very much as in recruiting our team, our staff will be about the right fit, people who fit and will embrace our culture. Lastly, we want to get around campus and meet our campus and our Fort Smith community. We are so excited as a family to call Fort Smith home. We are here for the long-term, and we will be invested in our community.”

Boone leaves tradition-rich Delta State as the third-winningest coach in program history with 128 wins.

In 2017-18, the Statesmen made their third consecutive trip to the GSC semifinals, making Delta State the only school to do that in each of the last three
seasons, and in 2016-17, he led the Statesmen to their 16th NCAA Tournament appearance, where they advanced to the second round and closed the year with a 23-9 record. In 2013-14, Boone led the Statesmen to one of their best seasons in program history, as they captured the Gulf South Conference regular-season title and made a run to the NCAA Division II Sweet 16. Boone was named GSC Coach of the Year, marking the seventh time in his career he has captured such an honor.

In all, the Statesmen completed a two-year turnaround of a program that had won just six games the year before Boone took over in 2012-13. The 17-game improvement represents the best among NCAA Division II institutions over this period of time.

Prior to taking over as head coach of the Statesmen, Boone spent the 2011-12 season as head coach at West Virginia Wesleyan College, guiding the Bobcats to a school-record 22 wins at the NCAA Division II level and the program’s first ever NCAA Division II Regional Tournament Championship appearance.

Under Boone’s leadership, the Bobcats (22-9) defeated perennial NCAA Division II power Winston Salem State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to West Liberty State.

Boone began his career as a standout player at West Virginia State College, where he was a four-year letterman. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Accounting (1981) and followed that with a master’s in Business Administration from the University of Kentucky (1982) with a concentration in Marketing.

His coaching career brought him back to his alma mater, spending three seasons as the head assistant coach and primary recruiter from 1982-85 at WVSC. Boone made the jump to NCAA DI basketball in 1986 as an assistant at Charleston Southern University, where the Buccaneers won the Big South Conference Championship.

That championship experience led Boone to California University of Pennsylvania as head coach. Over the next 10 years, Boone led California (Pa.) to unprecedented success, including a 228-71 record. During his time with the Vulcans, Boone’s 1992 squad posted 31 wins and was the number one team in the country. Boone also added two NCAA DII Final Four appearances, six regular season conference titles and six trips to the NCAA Tournament at the helm of the Vulcans.

Boone finished his time with a school-record 228 wins and a .763 win percentage. Boone was inducted into the California (Pa.) Hall of Fame in 2005.
From California (Pa.), Boone moved on to the challenge of rebuilding NCAA Division I Robert Morris University, eventually leading the Colonials to the NEC Championship game in 2000. In 1999 and 2000, he led RMU to a record of 25-13 in the NEC and produced two of the best seasons in Colonials history.

Boone left RMU after 2000 to take on the task of turning Eastern Michigan University into a competitive DI program. In five seasons at EMU, Boone quadrupled the program’s wins total and set several EMU attendance records.

He left EMU after the 2005 season for Tusculum College, a member of NCAA DII and the South Atlantic Conference. In 2009, the Pioneers won a school-record 20 games and the made its second-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. He still holds the school record for conference wins over a four-year period at Tusculum.

During his career, Boone’s teams have won seven conference championships, four tournament titles and have made 11 postseason appearances. From 1990-96, his California teams recorded more than 20 victories for six consecutive years tallying an impressive 150-33 mark during that span. His 94-24 league record in the PSAC is still the best of any coach in that conference’s history. He was named PSAC Coach of the Year on three occasions (1988, 1992, 1996) and NCAA Region Coach Year twice (1992, 1996).

He is married to the former Stephanie VanVranken, and they are the proud parents of two sons, Jimmy and Joey.

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LUBBOCK, Texas – Going out in style.

The No. 3 seed UAFS volleyball team rallied from a first-set loss to beat No. 4 seed St. Edward’s in four sets on Saturday afternoon and win the Heartland Conference Tournament championship at the Rip Griffin Center in Lubbock, Texas.

UAFS won the match 20-25, 25-22, 25-14, 25-17 to seal its status as the most-dominant volleyball program in the history of the Heartland Conference.

It was the final conference tournament in the 20-year history of the conference. The conference will disband in July with all but two of the current conference teams – Newman and Rogers State – joining the Lone Star Conference. Newman and Rogers State will join the MIAA Conference.

The Lady Lions captured their first conference tournament title since 2016, when UAFS beat Lubbock Christian in three sets at the Stubblefield Center, and their conference-record sixth championship in eight title match appearances.

Ironically, UAFS won its first conference tournament title in 2011 – the first season UAFS was eligible to compete for regular-season and conference tournament championships on the NCAA Division II level – by beating then regular-season champion and No. 1 seed St. Edward’s in four sets on its home court at the Recreation and Convocation Center in Austin, Texas.

The Lady Lions are just the fourth No. 3 seed to ever win the conference tournament, joining St. Edward’s (2004), Dallas Baptist (2009) and St. Mary’s (2010). No team lower than a No. 3 seed ever won the conference tournament.

UAFS received the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division II National Tournament, and the Lady Lions are likely the only conference team to earn an invitation.

Only eight teams advance to the national tournament – three conference champions and five at-large teams. Only regular-season champion Lubbock Christian was ranked in the last regular-season NCAA Division II South Central Region Poll, which is used to help determine at-large bids, and the Lady Chaps were ranked No. 10 in the 10-team poll.

The Lady Lions will learn who their first round opponent will be and where they will play during the live stream of the NCAA Division II selection show on NCAA.com at 9 p.m. on Sunday.

UAFS beat No. 2 seed St. Mary’s in three sets in Friday’s tournament opener to reach the title match, while St. Edward’s beat regular-season champion and No. 1 seed Lubbock Christian in five sets. The Hilltoppers were one of only two teams to beat the Lady Chaps in regular-season conference play with the other being the Lady Lions.

It was the third match of the season between UAFS and St. Edward’s. The two teams split the regular-season series with each team winning in five sets on their opponent’s home court. It was the fourth time for the two teams to meet in the championship match, and UAFS has won all four meetings.

UAFS hit at an impressive 0.251 clip with 63 kills on 187 attempts with 16 errors. Junior outside hitter Anna Demmer, a First Team All-Conference selection, had a team-high 23 kills. Sophomore right-side hitter Rachel Williams had a career-high 20 kills, compiling a sizzling 0.327 hitting percentage.

Freshman setter Taylor Stoops, who was an Honorable Mention All-Conference selection, collected 45 assists, while freshman defensive specialist Lexie Castillow served four of the Lady Lions’ six aces.

St. Edward’s had eight total blocks. Senior middle hitter Mikayla Parker collected two solo blocks and five block assists, while senior outside hitter Kate Hendrix had four block assists. The Hilltoppers had 96 digs, and senior setter Julia Hartley was one of three Hilltoppers with double-digit digs, finishing with a team-high 26.

The Lady Lions held the Hilltoppers to just a 0.169 hitting percentage with 53 kills on 189 attempts with 21 errors. Redshirt junior outside hitter Alexa McAndrew and Hendrix had 18 and 12 kills, respectively, to lead the Hilltoppers.

Hartley topped of her double-double with 23 assists, while junior setter/outside hitter Olivia Rome had 23 assists. That duo and McAndrew each served one of the Hilltoppers’ three aces.

UAFS collected seven total team blocks. Senior middle hitter Debra Rogers, who was the Conference Offensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-Conference selection, had four block assists, junior middle hitter Brylee Burroughs had two solo blocks and one block assist and Demmer had three block assists.

The Lady Lions collected 95 digs. Demmer posted her team-leading 17^th double-double with a team-high 22 digs. Freshman libero Pilar Onstad, who was an Honorable Mention All-Conference selection, had 17, and Stoops posted her 12^th double-double with 15 digs. Sophomore setter Laryssa Correa had 14 digs, and Castillow had 11 digs.

Demmer was named MVP of the tournament, while Williams and Stoops were each named to the All-Tournament Team. They were joined by McAndrew and Hendrix of St. Edward’s, Kelsie French of Lubbock Christian and Alissa Tolbert of St. Mary’s.

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Arkansas-Fort Smith senior Davaunta Thomas was named to the First Team in the South Central Region. Thomas was the Heartland Conference Player of the Year.

SOUTH CENTRAL REGION ALL-DISTRICT

First Team
Rasmus Bach, Fort Lewis
Patrick Burke, Dallas Baptist
David Chavlovich, West Texas A&M
Daeshon Francis, UT-Permian Basin
Dayon Goodman, Westminster
Davaunta Thomas, Arkansas-Fort Smith

Second Team
Chandler Jacobs, Dallas Baptist
Josh Morris, UT-Permian Basin
Reggie Reid, Texas A&M-Commerce
Luke Schroepfer, Colorado School of Mines
Dexter Sienko, Regis

Coach of the Year
Tom Brown, West Texas A&M

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FORT SMITH – The Harding volleyball team battled but came up short at Arkansas-Fort Smith as the Lady Bisons fell 3-1 (25-14, 22-25, 25-19, 26-24) in non-conference action. The loss snapped a three match winning streak.

RECORDS

Harding falls to 13-5 overall and Arkansas-Fort Smith improves to 12-6.

SET ONE HIGHLIGHTS

Up 10-9, Arkansas-Fort Smith went on a 6-1 run to take a 16-10 lead in the first set. The Lady Lions went on a 9-3 run to close the set 25-14.

SET TWO HIGHLIGHTS

Trailing 12-5, Harding went on a 12-5 run to tie the set at 17. With a 22-21 lead, Harding forced an attack error and had a kill to lead 24-21. After an Arkansas-Fort Smith block, the Lady Bisons got the set win on a kill by Emily Clayton.

SET THREE HIGHLIGHTS

The third set stayed close in the opening points until Arkansas-Fort smith went on a 5-1 run to lead 16-11. Harding tried to battle back but couldn’t get any closer than three as the Lady Lions won 25-19.

SET FOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Arkansas-Fort smith took a 12-6 lead early until Harding went on a 6-0 run to lead 19-17. The teams exchanged 3-0 runs until the Lady Bisons took a 24-23 lead off a kill by Sara Smith. A Harding service error tied the set and then back-to-back kills by the Lady Lions gave them the set victory 25-24.

TEAM STAT

Arkansas-Fort Smith led at the net, hitting .284 with 64 kills. Harding hit .172 and had 55 kills. The Lady Lions forced 24 Lady Bisons attack errors.

Harding who leads the Great American Conference in blocks, had three while Arkansas-Fort Smith had 10.

INDIVIDUAL STATS

Harding was led by sophomore outside hitter Emma Reeves, who had a career-high 14 kills. She also led the team, hitting .481 on 27 attempts.

Zoe Hardin added 12 kills for Harding and the reigning GAC Offensive Player of the Week Emily Clayton had 11.

Taylor Lake led the Lady Bisons defense with 21 digs and Bianca Trevino had 10.

Arkansas-Fort Smith was led by Kennedi Coleman who had 20 kills and hit .314. Erin Black had 55 assists for the Lady Lions and Emily Tripp led the defense with 37 digs.

UP NEXT

Harding will travel to Oklahoma this weekend for a pair of GAC matches. The Lady Bisons will face Southwestern Oklahoma at 6 p.m., on Friday and then face Northwestern Oklahoma at 2 p.m., on Saturday.

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OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma Christian University Athletic Director Curtis Janz said Friday he will resign to become the athletic director at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith.

Janz has served as OC’s athletic director since January 2009 and has led the athletic program through a long period of sustained success both on the field and in the classroom. He will work at OC until the end of the month before beginning his duties at UAFS – like OC a member of the Heartland Conference – on Aug. 1.

“Oklahoma Christian has been my home for more than 30 years as a student-athlete, assistant coach and as athletic director,” Janz said. “I value the relationships that have been built over those years, especially with the athletic staff and coaches.

“OC will always be special to me because it is the place I grew into the person I am today. So many people have invested in me – Dan Hays, Max Dobson, Stafford North, Stephanie Findley, Randy and Tom Heath and so many others. I will always be in their debt.”

OC President John deSteiguer said the departure of Janz – who has been associated with OC in some form since 1983 – will leave a void.

“Curtis is a great man and friend,” deSteiguer said. “Integrity, relationships, culture-building – these are only a few of his many strong talents. And Curtis’ story is quintessentially OC – he came to OC as a student, his life was changed, and as a result, he has changed the lives of many others. He will be missed – and he will continue to be loved and respected by many here, including me.”

Janz played an important role in OC’s athletic history, having successfully guided the university through the difficult and sometimes-arduous NCAA Division II membership process. OC just finished its first academic year as a full NCAA member and seems poised for success in the future in Division II.

Janz first came to Oklahoma Christian in 1983 as a member of Hays’ first basketball team at OC. Janz graduated in 1986 and stayed at OC to serve first as a graduate assistant under Hays, then as a full-time assistant coach starting in 1988.

He spent 19 years in that role, directing recruiting, monitoring the academic progress of players and helping with the on-the-floor coaching and game preparation for the Eagles. He also worked extensively with the highly successful OC Cage Camps each summer. Janz left coaching in August 2009 so he could focus on his duties as athletic director, a job he started the previous January.

The 52-year-old native of Wichita, Kan., has overseen a growing athletic department that includes 16 sports and was responsible for fundraising and setting the vision for the department. The latter element is something which he took particular care in doing.

OC has enjoyed much athletic success during Janz’s tenure, winning six of the university’s seven national titles during that time – three in men’s golf (NAIA 2009 and 2011, NCCAA 2012), two in men’s cross country (NAIA 2011, NCCAA 2012) and one in men’s tennis (NAIA 2012).

Under Janz, OC posted three straight top-10 finishes from 2010 to 2012 in the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup for NAIA schools, which measures the across-the-board success of college athletic departments.

OC student-athletes also have excelled academically in recent years. During the 2015-16 academic year, Oklahoma Christian athletes had an overall grade-point average of 3.26. OC won the Heartland Conference’s overall academic championship in 2013-14, with the university’s female student-athletes taking top honors in the conference in 2014 and 2016.

“We have accomplished so much – six national championships in the last eight years and progressing though the NCAA Division II membership process to full members – but I am most proud of the culture we have in the athletic department,” Janz said.

“We have become a family; we care about and value each other as people first. It has always been my desire to teach student-athletes to compete athletically, academically, socially and spiritually. We have been very successful doing that as a department.”

Janz received his master’s degree in 1988 from the University of Central Oklahoma. He is an active member of the NCAA Division II Athletic Directors Association and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.

Janz is the co-author of a textbook, “Basketball Skill Progressions,” with Jerry Krause of Gonzaga University and James Conn of Central Missouri State University. The text has been adopted by the National Association of Basketball Coaches as a component of its Youth Basketball Instructional Packets. In 2003, Janz received the second annual AFLAC National Assistant Coaches of the Year award.

Curtis is married to Kathryn Janz, who grew up in Elk City. She works for Keller Williams Realty.  They are the parents of a teenage daughter, Delaney.

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Alyssa Arnold, John Brown, S, junior
Arnold recorded more than 1,300 assists in 2015, which was second in the SAC, and was also third on her team in digs. However, with the graduation of Libby Blasingame and All-American Audrey Dearien, Arnold will be directing her sets to a different group of hitters this year as the Golden Eagles try to earn double-digits in wins in the SAC for a fourth straight year.

Kori Bullard, Ouachita, MH, junior
Bullard fills the middle well and has averaged 72 blocks per season in her first two years at Ouachita. She is a two-sport star who also plays basketball for the Tigers, and may be called upon more in 2016 for her offense as well. Bullard was second on the team in kills last season at 2.92 per set – behind only Abby Pickett, the GAC Player of the Year – and she hit .292 on the year.

Ouachita’s Kori Bullard. Photo courtesy Ouachita Sports Info.

Kennedi Coleman, Arkansas-Fort Smith, OH, senior
With trips to the Elite Eight in 2015 and to the Final Four in 2014, this UAFS senior class has a lot of quality experience racked up. Coleman is one of those seniors who could make a big mark this season. She led the team in kills at 3.63 per set while hitting .217. Her defense was effective also as she had 71 blocks and 108 digs. Coleman was the only player to play in and start all 33 matches last year.

Lauren Corby, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, OH, junior
Points came at a premium last season for the Lions, but Corby along with Kayla Dowdell were key on offense during the wins. Dowdell has graduated and Corby should fill an even larger role this year. She had a near triple-double in the season finale, which was a win for UAPB. Can that be the springboard for a strong year in 2016?

Hunter Eshnaur, Arkansas Tech, OH, sophomore
As a freshman, Eshnaur led the GAC in points, earning 4.4 per set for her team. She was also third in the league with in kills (3.76 per set) and in service aces (.44 per set). Eshnaur was the 2015 GAC Freshman of the Year. She will be receiving passes from a new setter this year, with the departure of Sarita Stegall, but Arkansas Tech has become a factory under coach Kristy Bayer in developing setters in recent years and her scoring pace should continue unabated.

Zoe Hardin, Harding, MH, sophomore
Hardin is a force on the inside and could be big in bringing Harding back to the top of the GAC and beyond. She averaged 1.38 blocks per set, which was seventh in Division II in 2015, and had 159 total. Hardin also averaged 2.72 kills per set while hitting .315 on the year, third in the GAC. This is a team that should only get better over the next three seasons.

Adrianna Hartmann, Henderson State, MH, freshman
Offense was lacking for the Reddies in 2015, but coach Kristee Porter going into her second season on the job was able to sign a strong class in the winter. Hartmann could bring immediate help to the court. The incoming freshman recorded more than 500 kills in just her junior year at Fredericksburg (Texas) H.S. At 6-foot-2, Hartmann, along with 6-foot-3 sophomore Gabby Ginapp, may be able to shore up the HSU defense in the middle.

Serena LaDuff, Southern Arkansas, OH, senior
LaDuff, the GAC Newcomer of the year in 2015, led the league with 3.90 per set and recorded 499 on the season. She is a leader on a strong senior class that should help the transition for Brittany Davis from assistant into the position of head coach. LaDuff notched a league-high 26 kills in a five-set match against Southern Nazarene last season.

Audra Nailling, Williams Baptist, MH, sophomore
Nailling is the leading returner in blocks for the Eagles and has the second best hitting percentage returning. The sophomore brings height to the middle and is effective on offense. WBC has won 20 or more games in seven of the last nine seasons and are averaging 23 wins per season. Nailling will be key to keeping that streak going.

Hendrix’s M.C. Rogers. Photo courtesy HC Sports Info.

M.C. Rogers, Hendrix, OH, senior
Whoever takes over as head coach for the Warriors will inherit a roster that is heavy laden with seniors full of experience, led by Rogers. The 6-foot-2 outside hitter led the team in kills (3.17 per set) and was second in digs (3.35 per set) and second in service aces (35). Her presence can be felt all around the court and in the midst of the Warriors’ playoff run to the D-III national semifinals, Rogers had back-to-back games of at least 20 kills and at least 22 digs.

Markie Schaedig, Arkansas State, DS, senior
As a junior, Schaedig had 537 digs, which was 10th on the ASU list for a season and was second in the Sun Belt and 13th in Division I. She also owns the top spot on that list as well (762, 2014). Schaedig was the Sun Belt Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year in ’15 and an honorable mention All-American in ’14. She is one of five seniors and could help lead the team back to return trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Edina Selimovic, Little Rock, MH, senior
Selimovic is in Little Rock record books and in the top 10 in career block assists, aces and total blocks and her career hitting percentage of .318 is currently at the top of that list as well. In her time with the Trojans, Selimovic has started in all 63 matches and played in all 224 sets in which she has had an opportunity to play. One of four seniors on the roster, the team needs her offense and leadership to keep pace with Arkansas State in the Sun Belt this year.

Rachel Sharp, Central Arkansas, OH, senior
UCA signed a large class this spring, with some players that will compete on the new beach volleyball team. But Sharp will be the lone senior on the squad in ’16. At 6-foot-1, she brings height to the outside and is the leading returner in service aces. Sharp is an all-around player who hit .165 last year and contributed significantly with both blocks and digs.

Savannah Shelton, Philander Smith, DS, freshman
The future could be now for Shelton, who comes to Philander Smith from just down the road in Bryant. It’s a young roster and the freshman has a chance to hit the court right off the bat, as she can serve, set and plays solid on defense as well.

Arkansas-Monticello’s Kya Standford. Photo courtesy UAM Sports Info.

Kya Standford, Arkansas-Monticello, MH, senior
Standford played in only 99 sets last year, but recorded 82 total blocks. She also led the Cotton Blossoms with a hitting percentage of .209, fifth all-time for the program. Standford seemed to get stronger as the season went along and scored double figures in points in six of the last 11 games. Her presence in the middle will be important for UAM this year.

Madisson Williams, Lyon, L, sophomore
Williams averaged 3.4 digs per set as a freshman and had 22 aces while not afraid to be aggressive on the serve. A member of a big freshman class in 2015, Williams and the Scots had the most wins (17) for the program since 2008 and the Scots look to poised to build on that in 2016.

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