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Cajuns Claim Two Top Awards, Land Three on All-Louisiana VolleyballMio Yamamoto named state’s top libero while Cailin Demps claims lead newcomer status LAFAYETTE – Cami Hicks and Mio Yamamoto both earned first team honors, Yamamoto was named Libero of the Year and Cailin Demps received Newcomer of the Year to go with an honorable mention selection, representing the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Volleyball team on the 2024 Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) All-Louisiana Volleyball team. Announced on Wednesday (Jan. 8), the 2024 LSWA volleyball awards were selected by a voting panel which consisted of the state’s volleyball athletics communications directors. Louisiana and Southeastern led with three total selections. The Ragin’ Cajuns were the only team with multiple first team selections. Both Hicks and Yamamoto picked up another postseason honor as the duo also represented Louisiana on the 2024 All-Sun Belt team. Yamamoto picked up an All-Louisiana accolade for the second straight season, Hicks collected her second career selection (adding to 2022 honor) while Demps made her All-Louisiana debut. For the eighth time in the past nine seasons (since 2016), UL received multiple All-Louisiana selections increasing the number of selections to 23 during the time period. Under Kristi Gray’s leadership, since 2021, there have been 11 selections including three each of the past three seasons. Louisiana picked up its first major award by a player since the 2014 season, when Andrea Hole was awarded LSWA Player of the Year. Hicks posted her third consecutive 100-plus blocks season, totaling a career-best and program rally scoring era record 135 blocks during her final season as a Ragin’ Cajun. The graduate middle blocker led the Sun Belt Conference in in blocks per set (1.4) the entire season. A two-time All-Sun Belt and All-Louisiana performer, Hicks became the Ragin’ Cajuns’ rally era career blocks record holder and moved into the SBC’s all-time Top 10 in career blocks ending her career with 487 blocks. Yamamoto was a big part of the Ragin’ Cajuns’ 16.97 digs per set, ranking No. 3 in the Sun Belt and No. 21 in Division I volleyball. She recorded 400 digs for the second consecutive season, finishing with 478 digs in 25 matches played (4.93 digs/set), and scooped double-digit digs in 22 matches. She added 134 assists and was second on the team with 18 aces. Demps, a junior transfer from Southern Miss, led the Ragin’ Cajuns with 3.03 kills per set on a .204 hitting percentage and tallied a single-season career-high 294 kills. She reached double digits in kills 15 times, including eight with 15 or more, and was UL’s leader in kills in 14 out of 25 matches. 2024 LSWA All-Louisiana Women’s College Volleyball Team Player of the Year: Jurnee Robinson, LSU Libero of the Year: Mio Yamamoto, Louisiana Newcomer of the Year: Cailin Demps, Louisiana Freshman of the Year: Kamea Uitenham, Xavier Coach of the Year: Jeremy White, Southeastern First Team MB – Amaya Bazemore, Loyola, N.O. MB – Cami Hicks, Louisiana OH – Cicily Hidalgo, Southeastern OH – McKenzie Moore, McNeese MB/RS – Taylor Parker, Xavier OH – Jurnee Robinson, LSU Libero – Mio Yamamoto, Louisiana Second Team MH – India Bennett, Southeastern MB – Angelina Lee, LSU OPP – Kyra McKelvey, Southeastern OH – Reaghan Thompson, Northwestern State OH – Kamea Uitenham, Xavier MB – Charlize Williams, Louisiana Tech Libero – Bailey Tillman, McNeese Honorable Mention MB – Deja Benjamin, Northwestern State; OH/OPP – Cailin Demps, Louisiana; L – Simone Moreau, Loyola, N.O.FOLLOW THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS
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