Volleyball: Hole, White Named To All-Sun Belt Volleyball Squad

Matt Sullivan, Asst Sports Information Director, November 20, 2013

First tandem selected for Cajuns since 2002

NEW ORLEANS – After helping the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns volleyball team to its most wins in 17 seasons, Andrea Hole and Tonice White were each selected to the 2013 All-Sun Belt Conference team in a release by the league office on Wednesday.

Hole, a junior setter, and White, a senior middle blocker, were each named to the second-team and the selection marked the first time a pair of Cajuns were chosen since Clarice Laires and Priscilla Lima were first-team members on the 2002 squad.

"This is a tremendous honor for both Tonice and Andrea," head coach Heather Mazeitis-Fontenot said. "To get 19 wins off the backs of these two young women is a testament to their work ethic and leadership on the court. They each played through pain at certain points during the season, but stepped up and guided our team to a great season."

Hole, one of two setters named to the 16-member team, finished third in the Sun Belt Conference with 10.54 assists per set. She posted 21 matches with 30 or more assists, 11 with 40 or more and five with 50 or more. Hole posted a career-high 63 assists in a five-set win over Southern Miss and added and 58 against UT Arlington.

The Oslo, Norway native ranked 10th in the league in service aces per set (0.23) while averaging 2.92 digs per set with 17 double-doubles on the season.

White, a Houston native, averaged 2.59 kills per set and hit .250 on the season for the Ragin’ Cajuns. The four-year letterwinner paced Louisiana in Sun Belt Conference play, averaging a team-best 2.92 kills with a .273 hitting percentage.

She posted 16 matches with 10 or more kills in on the season, highlighted by a career-best 22 against UT Arlington. White added 18 kills against USM and posted a string of 12 straight matches with 10 or more kills. Defensively, White finished second on the team in blocks (69) recording a season-high seven against USM and adding five in matches against Nicholls State and South Alabama.

Louisiana (19-13), which is the No. 6 seed in the eight-team field, will open play in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Thursday against Texas State in a 2:30 p.m. match.

2013 Sun Belt First Team All-Conference
Edina Begic (UALR, Junior, OH)
Sonja Milanovic (UALR, Sophomore, OH)
Mechell Daniel (South Alabama, Freshman, OH/OPP)
Charmaine Whitmore (UT Arlington, Senior, MB)
Amari Deardorff (Texas State, Senior, RS)
Noelle Langenkamp (WKU, Sophomore, MH)
Melanie Stutsman (WKU, Senior, S)
Paige Wessel (WKU, RS Senior, OH)

2013 Sun Belt Second Team All-Conference
Dede Bohannon (Georgia State, Sophomore, OH)
Andrea Hole (Louisiana, Junior, S)
Tonice White (Louisiana, Senior, MB)
Jessica Lewis (South Alabama, Freshman, OH)
Taylor Gross (UT Arlington, Junior, OH)
Ashlee Hilbun (Texas State, Senior, MB)
Heather Boyan (WKU, Junior, MH)
Ashley Potts (WKU, Senior, DS)

2013 Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year
Edina Begic (UALR, Junior, OH)

2013 Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year
Ashley Potts (WKU, Senior, DS)

2013 Sun Belt Conference Setter of the Year
Melanie Stutsman (WKU, Senior, S)

2013 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year
Mechell Daniel (South Alabama, Freshman, OH/OPP)

2013 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year
Travis Hudson, WKU

2013 Sun Belt Team Academic Award
Western Kentucky