Dec. 14, 2009
RUSTON-Louisiana Tech's KC Clayton and Kara Jones were named to the 2009 Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana college volleyball second team Sunday while Nataliya Panova was named honorable mention All-Louisiana and Newcomer of the Year.
Clayton, a senior middle blocker for the Techsters, had just recently been named second team All-WAC before adding another honor Sunday. The Tucson, Ariz. native was the backbone for Tech leading them to an 11 win turnaround from 2008 as well as tying the school record in WAC wins in a season and most total wins since 2005 with 15. Tech had won 16 total matches in the past three seasons combined. Clayton totaled 246 kills and 102 total blocks on the season. Her 373 career blocks places her third all-time at Tech.
Jones was a force at the net for the Techsters as she recorded a conference leading 32 solo blocks in 2009. Second place in the WAC recorded 19. She also set a new school record with 12 total blocks vs. Air Force and her 1.15 blocks/set average ranked seventh in conference and second all-time at Tech. The Moody, Texas native registered 131 total blocks on the year which is also second best in Tech history and was fourth in the WAC.
Panova, who transferred to Tech form the University of Houston, made the honorable mention team and was named Louisiana Newcomer of the Year. The sophomore from Sofia, Bulgaria led the Techsters and was second in the WAC with 10 double-doubles in her first season with the team. The sophomore ranked first on the team with 284 kills and was second on the team with 322 digs on the season. She recorded career highs of 16 kills in a win over Centenary and 22 digs in Tech's first ever win vs. Utah State. In the season's opening tournament, Panova put on an impressive show as she was named MVP of the Techster Invitational after registering 32 kills for a .391 hitting percentage, 34 digs, three aces and eight blocks in just four matches.
The three Techsters named to an All-Louisiana team are the most since 2002 when Tech also had three.
LSU middle blocker Brittnee Cooper was named Offensive Player of the Year and UNO libero Nicky Valenti was named the state's Defensive Player of the Year. LSU coach Fran Flory earned Coach of the Year Honors and McNeese State's Priscilla Massengale was named Freshman of the Year. Louisiana Tech head coach Matt Sonnichsen tied for second place in the Coach of the Year voting.
First Team
Brittnee Cooper, LSU- Sr.
Visnja Djurdjevic, Tulane- So.
Sam Dabbs, LSU- Sr.
Marina Skender, LSU- Sr.
Lindsey Loyd, UNO- Sr.
Gina Gill, Loyola (NO)- So.
Nicky Valenti, UNO- Jr.
Second Team
Manieka Golden, Nicholls State- Sr.
Rachel Lindelow, Tulane- Sr.
KC Clayton, LA Tech- Sr.
Kara Jones, LA Tech- Jr.
Michelle Williams, LSU- So.
Ksenija Vlaskovic, Tulane- Sr.
Lauren Waclawczyk, LSU- So.
Honorable Mention
Nicole Bowden, McNeese
Kayla Williams, Grambling
Nataliya Panova, LA Tech
Lindsay Brown , Louisiana-Lafayette.
