2018 SFA Volleyball Positional Preview | Middle Blocker
8/13/2018 9:10:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
As the defending Southland Conference champion Stephen F. Austin volleyball team goes through its fall camp in preparation for the 2018 campaign, SFAJacks.com will be putting out a position-by-position preview of the squad. This portion of the preview focuses on the Ladyjacks' middle blockers - Danae Daron, Makenzee Hanna, Neena Perdue, Anyia Williams and Lauren Wright.
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Headed into the 2018 season, four of the top five attack percentage leaders in the Southland Conference will be back in uniform for their respective institutions.
However, Stephen F. Austin is the only program who has two of those individuals on its roster.
Headlined by All-Southland Conference First Team choice Danae Daron as well as All-Southland Conference Second Team pick Makenzee Hanna, the Ladyjacks' group of middle blockers is among the most decorated and experienced in the league. For the defending Southland champions, though, it will not be limited to a two-person show at that position in 2018.
Of the five middle blockers on the Ladyjacks' roster, three put in a solid effort last season while two more are ready to show what they can bring to the table as they prep for their first collegiate campaigns.
No player on the Ladyjacks' roster showed a greater increase in efficiency on the offensive end than Hanna did in 2017. Following a sophomore campaign where she attacked at a clip of just .093 and averaged 1.49 kills per set, Hanna turned into one of the most dangerous players in the Southland Conference by terminating at a percentage of .335. That mark ranked second among all league competitors and her kill total of 214 (1.89 per set) made her one of four Ladyjacks who pounded down north of 200 terminations throughout the campaign.
As quality of an offensive show Hanna put on throughout the year, her defensive improvement may have been more marked. During her first two seasons as a collegian Hanna totaled 13 solo blocks and another 102 assisted rejections only to nearly match that total as a junior. The DeSoto, Texas, product led SFA with 116 total blocks and her average of 1.03 per set also led the squad and ranked seventh in the Southland.
With an already potent combination of offense and defense in Hanna, the Ladyjacks added to the effectiveness of their front row by making Daron a much larger piece of the game plan. One of just three Ladyjacks who took part in all 122 sets across 34 matches, Daron started every match and never seemed to slow down on offense as evident by her 294 total kills (2.41 per set). Much like Hanna, Daron placed more value on the quality of her swings rather than the quantity of them as she finished the year with an attack percentage of .327 to rank the Crosby, Texas, product third in the Southland.
Versatility is a tool Daron has at her disposal as well as the sophomore joined Hanna with over 100 blocks in 2017. Of her 107 total rejections, a team-best 10 were of the solo variety for Daron.
Waiting in the wings, however, is Anyia Williams who opened eyes around the league with her potential on offense. During a five-match stretch that spanned late September and early October, Williams posted four outings with double-digit terminations and averaged 2.84 kills per set on a searing .505 attack percentage. In three of those matches, the product of Cedar Hill, Texas, registered five block assists to show that she could provide the Ladyjacks with an additional versatile piece in the middle.
Through 53 sets, Williams amassed exactly 100 kills (1.89 per set) while committing just 25 errors for an attack percentage of .342. Added to that was a blocks per set average of 0.83 which laid the foundation for a potentially exceptional collegiate volleyball career.
The Ladyjacks' talent pool at middle blocker goes deeper as redshirt freshman Lauren Wright and true freshman Neena Perdue are expected to challenge their older teammates for playing time. Using 2017 as a redshirt season to rehab from an injury sustained as a prep player, Wright brings an imposing 6'2 frame to the front of the net. As the Ladyjacks' tallest player, the Wichita Falls, Texas, native was a three-time All-District selection as a high school student-athlete and has acclimated herself well to practice though the opening days of preseason camp.
Not many prep volleyball players have compiled a resume as impressive as Perdue who was a four-time TCAF State Champion while competing for Westlake Academy. The two-time TCAF State Tournament MVP is one of five true freshmen on the Ladyjacks' 2018 roster.
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Season Opener
In a little less than two weeks, SFA will begin its 2018 season in Memphis, Tenn., as one of four teams in the Memphis Invitational. The Ladyjacks' three-match schedule at the invitational begins at 7:00 p.m., on Friday, August 24, when they tangle with the host Tigers of the University of Memphis.
Stay Social
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