Volleyball: Four Cajuns All-Sun Belt, Wisnoskie is Top Freshman

 LAFAYETTE – Four Ragin’ Cajuns were named to the 2017 All-Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Team and Hali Wisnoskie was named Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year, the league office announced on Wednesday.
 
Wisnoskie and Dree’Ana Abram represented the Ragin’ Cajuns on the All-Sun Belt First Team. Jessica Bartczyszyn and Sydney Davis were selected to the All-Sun Belt Second Team.
 
Louisiana’s four All-Sun Belt selections mark the most in program history. It also increases the number of all-conference performers in Heather Mazeitis-Fontenot‘s tenure to eight and the program’s all-time total to 20.
 
Wisnoskie becomes the third Ragin’ Cajun named freshman of the year by the Sun Belt, joining greats Nia Kiggundu (1993) and Janaina Gomes (1998) on the list.
 
The Ragin’ Cajuns landed a representative on the All-Sun Belt First Team for the first time since 2002 (Claire Laires, Priscilla Lima). The quartet are the first to receive the league’s highest honor since Andrea Hole and Tonice White were second team selections in 2013.
 
Wisnoskie, a three-time Sun Belt Freshman of the Week choice, has recorded the second-most kills by a Ragin’ Cajun freshman in the rally scoring era (currently 308) and became just the second to reach 300 in the era.
 
The Columbus, Texas, product generated double digit kills nine times in SBC play and 16 times overall in her rookie campaign. She hit .250 or higher in 12 of her double-digit kills performances, capping off the regular season with 15 kills on a .371 percentage at UTA.
 
Abram was the first to reach 100 blocks this season, becoming the first Ragin’ Cajun to accomplish the feat since Chanelle Gardner in 2014. Presently at 117 blocks (28 BS, 89 BA), she is 12 shy of equaling the rally scoring era single season record.
 
She is one of only six SBC players with a season average above 1.00 blocks per set. The middle blocker from Marshall, Texas, threw up at least four blocks 10 times in SBC play and in 17 matches overall. She ranked sixth in league play with a .325 hitting percentage.
 
A preseason All-Sun Belt pick and two-time setter of the week winner, Bartczyszyn directed Louisiana to .218 hitting percentage (up from .187 in 2016), 12.62 kills per set (up from 11.93 in 2016), a school record for Sun Belt victories and a runner-up finish in the SBC West Division. She reached 1,000 assists for the second straight season and currently has 1,096 which is 48 shy of tying her career-best set last season.
 
In addition to her setting duties, Bartczyszyn contributes in all phases of the game, compiling 73 kills (41 in SBC play), 231 digs (139 in SBC play) and 54 blocks (40 in SBC play). She ranked Top 3 in the Sun Belt in assists throughout the entire season
 
Davis earned Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week three times and reached 500 digs for the second straight season. She has an active streak of 15 consecutive matches of double digit digs and has scooped 20-plus 11 times this season.
 
The St. Joseph’s Academy product averaged over 5.00 digs per set in a SBC weekend on four occasions and reached 20 digs in a SBC match seven times highlighted by a career-high 34 in a critical win over Texas State (Oct. 28). Davis picked up her 1,000th career dig on Sept. 8 at Rice, becoming the fourth Ragin’ Cajuns libero to reach the milestone in the rally scoring era.
 
The Ragin’ Cajuns four All-Sun Belt selections were second-most among the league’s membership. Texas State led all schools with six selections.
 
Coastal Carolina’s Leah Hardeman was chosen Player of the Year and Arkansas State’s Carlisa May was named Offensive Player of the Year. Texas State collected Defensive Player of the Year (Micah Dinwiddie), Setter of the Year (Erin Hoppe) and Newcomer of the Year (Amy Pflughaupt) and Coastal Carolina’s Jozsef Foreman was voted Coach of the Year.
 
Louisiana (20-10, 13-3 Sun Belt) begins play in the Sun Belt Tournament in Jonesboro, Ark., on Friday against the winner of the UTA-Appalachian State first round contest. First serve for the quarterfinal match is set for 5 p.m. from First National Bank Arena on the Arkansas State University campus.
 
For more information on Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Volleyball, as well as all of Ragin’ Cajuns Athletics, visit RaginCajuns.com. Fans can also follow along with the team on Facebook (/ULVolleyball), Twitter (@RaginCajunsVB) and Instagram (@RaginCajunsVB).
 
First Team All-Sun Belt
Drew Jones (Arkansas State, Senior, OH)
Carlisa May (Arkansas State, Junior, OH)
Leah Hardeman (Coastal Carolina, Senior, OH)
Lauren Reichard (Georgia Southern, Junior, MH)
Dree’Ana Abram (Louisiana, Sophomore, MB)
Hali Wisnoskie (Louisiana, Freshman, OH)
Kelley Hartman (South Alabama, Sophomore, MB)
Qiana Cañete (UTA, Senior, OH)
Madison Daigle (Texas State, Junior, MB)
Micah Dinwiddie (Texas State, Sophomore, DS)
Erin Hoppe (Texas State, Senior, S)
Amy Pflughaupt (Texas State, Sophomore, OH)
 
Second Team All-Sun Belt
Melissa McMath (Appalachian State, Sophomore, OH)
Marina Avram (Little Rock, Senior, OH)
Tatum Ticknor (Arkansas State, Freshman, DS)
Ellie Watkins (Arkansas State, Junior, S)
Sydney Alvis (Coastal Carolina, Junior, DS)
Celeste Friesen (Georgia State, Sophomore, DS)
Jessica Bartczyszyn (Louisiana, Senior, S)
Sydney Davis (Louisiana, Junior, LB)
Kristina Alabastro (South Alabama, Junior, OH)
Zhanelle Geathers (UTA, Junior, MB)
Jaliyah Bolden (Texas State, Senior, MB)
Megan Porter (Texas State, Sophomore, OH)
 
Player of the Year
Leah Hardeman (Coastal Carolina, Senior, OH)
 
Offensive Player of the Year
Carlisa May (Arkansas State, Junior, OH)
 
Defensive Player of the Year
Micah Dinwiddie (Texas State, Sophomore, DS)
 
Setter of the Year
Erin Hoppe (Texas State, Senior, S)
 
Freshman of the Year
Hali Wisnoskie (Louisiana, Freshman, OH)
 
Newcomer of the Year
Amy Pflughaupt (Texas State, Sophomore, OH)
 
Coach of the Year
Jozsef Foreman, Coastal Carolina