All-Southland Volleyball Team Announced
11/15/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 15, 2000
DALLAS ~ Shenequa Bedford, a senior middle blocker from Southwest Texas State University, has been named the Southland Conference Volleyball Player of the Year in a vote of the league's head coaches.
The Houston, Texas, native helped the Bobcats to the Southland Conference regular season title with a perfect 20-0 record. She is currently third in the league in hitting percentage with a .313 and has tallied 414 kills for an average of 3.91 per game. Bedford, who was named the Southland's Offensive Player of the Week once this season, is now a two-time first team all-Conference selection. She was also voted to the all-tournament team the last two years.
Southwest Texas' Karen Chisum received Coach of the Year honors from her peers after posting a 29-3 overall record, going undefeated in Conference play with 20 wins, and earning an NCAA Central Region ranking all season. Chisum, whose 21-year coaching career has been entirely with SWT, has her team on a 23-match winning streak heading into the Southland championship tournament this weekend.
The Bobcats' starting six all earned All-Conference honors. Bedford is on the first team, middle blocker Laura Ivy, outside hitter Jennifer Dallao and setter Natalie Spann placed on the second team, and outside hitters Shauna Stahl and Tiffany Weidner are third team members.
The Newcomer of the Year award goes to Charyl Norwood, a junior middle blocker from Lamar. Norwood, who hails from Bremerton, Washington, is in her first year in the Southland after transferring to LU from Olympic Community College. With 19 block solos and 103 block assists, she averaged 1.10 blocks per game and also recorded a hitting percentage of .269.
The Freshman of the Year is Texas-San Antonio's Charlsie Heifrin, a middle blocker from Red Oak (Texas) High School and a third-team all-Conference selection. Heifrin, who ranks among the nation's blocks leaders, leads the league with 1.45 blocks per game on 26 block solos and 94 block assists. She is also the Southland's third-leading hitter with a .313 percentage (tied with Bedford) and 4.14 kills per game.
The Southland's regular season runner-up, UTSA, has four all-Conference players. Texas-Arlington placed three as did Stephen F. Austin. McNeese State and Lamar each have one all-Conference honoree.
The Southland head coaches voted on the all-conference teams, ranking the top 15 players regardless of position.
2000 All-Southland Conference Volleyball Teams First Team Shenequa Bedford Sr. MB Southwest Texas Houston, Texas/Northshore High School, Anissa Parker Sr. OH McNeese State Bakersfield, Calif./Garces Memorial H.S., Natasha Biggers Sr. S Texas-San Antonio San Antonio, Texas/Marshall High School, Kristy Rhodes Jr. MB Stephen F. Austin Cypress, Texas/Cypress Creek High School, Stacy Schmidt Jr. OH Texas-San Antonio Bellville, Texas/Bellville High School, and Trisha Walker Sr. OH Texas-Arlington Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert High School
Second Team Tamara Luckemeyer Sr. OH Texas-San Antonio Katy, Texas/Katy High School, Laura Ivy Sr. MB Southwest Texas Arlington, Texas/Lamar High School, Jennifer Dallao Sr. OH/RS Southwest Texas Belleville, Ill./Indiana State, Natalie Sarver So. OH Lamar Bridge City, Texas/Bridge City High School, Amber Pack So. OH Texas-Arlington San Antonio, Texas/James Madison H.S., Natalie Spann Jr. S Southwest Texas Cleburne, Texas/Cleburne High School
Third Team Charlsie Heifrin Fr. MB Texas-San Antonio Red Oak, Texas/Red Oak High School, Kisha Tucker Sr. S Texas-Arlington Amarillo, Texas/Tascosa High School, Marissa Dorcheus Jr. S Stephen F. Austin Houston, Texas/Cypress Creek High School, Shauna Stahl Sr. OH Southwest Texas Austin, Texas/Bowie High School, Tiffany Weidner So. OH Southwest Texas New Braunfels, Texas/Canyon High School, and Jenny Orndorff Sr. OH Stephen F. Austin Arlington, Texas/Lamar High School
Honorable Mention - Shanda Hart, Lamar, Urissa White, Lamar, Angela Brittain, McNeese State, Mandy Withrow, Southeastern Louisiana, Katy Risinger, Texas-San Antonio.
Player of the Year - Shenequa Bedford, senior, middle blocker, Southwest Texas
Newcomer of the Year - Charyl Norwood, junior, middle blocker, Lamar
Freshman of the Year - Charlsie Heifrin, middle blocker, Texas-San Antonio
Coach of the Year - Karen Chisum, Southwest Texas
~SLC~
