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2015 All-Great American Conference Volleyball Team (pdf)
 
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Headlined by a First Team All-Great American Conference selection for Carly Zak, the SWOSU Volleyball team placed three on the All-GAC Conference team. The Bulldogs also claimed on Crafton Tull Distinguished Scholar-Athlete Award recipient in Kaila Lancaster, who became just the second SWOSU student-athlete across all sports to earn the award.
 
The All-GAC Volleyball teams were announced on Wednesday evening as part of the GAC banquet held in Hot Springs, Arkansas, prior to the start of the 2015 GAC Volleyball Tournament – Presented by Subway. Zak was joined on the all-conference squad by second-team selection Kayla Hebert and honorable mention honoree Kelsi Schmidtberger.
 
Zak, a junior, earned First Team All-GAC honors for the first time in her career, and is the first SWOSU volleyball player to be named to the All-GAC squad three times. The native of Wylie, Texas, ranked fourth in the GAC with 391 kills, and averaged 3.69 kills per set. When she wasn't playing at the net, she was providing solid defense, recording a career-best 333 digs and 17 double-doubles. A force on the serve, Zak scored 31 aces this season, ranking in the top 10 in the conference for the category. Zak claimed the program's career record for kills during the 2015 season, and currently sits at 1,102 career kills.
 
Hebert, a junior, was recognized as a Second Team All-GAC selection for the first time in her career. Hailing from McKinney, Texas, Hebert was fifth in the league with 1,012 assists, becoming just the second Bulldog to surpass the 1,000-assist threshold in program history. The setter boasted an all-around game, hitting .314 and scoring 115 kills, while also chipping in with 306 digs. Hebert's 46 service aces this season set a new SWOSU single-season record, and places her third amongst the conference's leaders in aces.
 
Schmidtberger, a junior, earned an honorable mention on the All-GAC squad in her first season with the Bulldogs. The Houston, Texas, native was third in the GAC with a .323 hitting percentage, knocking down 230 kills on just 542 attempts. A force at the net, she put up 64 total blocks, including 15 solo blocks and a season-career-high eight total blocks against Oklahoma City.
 
In addition to the all-conference awards, the inaugural Crafton Tull Academic Awards were presented. The Crafton Tull/GAC Distinguished Scholar Award is given to student-athletes who have reached the GAC postseason tournament, hold at least a 3.70 grade point average and have completed at least 70 hours of coursework. Lancaster, the Bulldogs' lone senior who hails from Hewitt, Texas, earned the award on Wednesday night.
 
Under SWOSU head coach Josh Collins' mentorship, a total of eight Bulldogs have earned All-GAC recognition, including three first-team, five second-team and three honorable mention selections. This is the second time in three years that the Bulldogs have placed three on the All-GAC roster.
 
The Bulldogs open up the GAC Tournament tomorrow as the No. 3 seed. They will face No. 6-seeded Northwestern Oklahoma State at noon in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
 
2015 All-Great American Conference Volleyball Team
 
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
OUACHITA - Abby Pickett, #24, Sr., Texarkana, Texas
 
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
ARKANSAS TECH - Hunter Eshnaur, #2, OH, Russellville, Ark.
 
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS - Serena LeDuff, #9, OH, Jr., Valencia, Calif.
 
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
OKLAHOMA BAPTIST - Kaitlyn Lucy, #10, L, Sr., Midlothian, Texas
 
SETTER OF THE YEAR
ARKANSAS TECH - Sarita Stegall, #8, Fr., Fort Smith, Ark.
 
COACH OF THE YEAR
ARKANSAS TECH - Kristy Bayer
 
2015 ALL-GAC FIRST TEAM
* OUACHITA - Abby Pickett, #24, Sr., Texarkana, Texas
ARKANSAS TECH - Hunter Eshnaur, #2, Fr., Russellville, Ark.
HARDING - Zoe Hardin, #10, Fr., Amarillo, Texas
ARKANSAS TECH - Katie Huff, #11, Sr, Springdale, Ark.
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS - Serena LeDuff, #9, Jr., Valencia, Calif.
OKLAHOMA BAPTIST - Kaitlyn Lucy, #10, Sr., Midlothian, Texas
ARKANSAS TECH - Sarita Stegall, #8, Fr., Fort Smith, Ark.
SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE - Carly Zak, #8, Jr., Wylie, Texas
 
* Unanimous Selection 
 
2015 All-GAC SECOND TEAM
SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA STATE - Julia Benford, #15, Jr., Fort Worth, Texas
SOUTHERN NAZARENE - McKayla Benner, #11, So., Norman, Okla.
SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE - Kayla Hebert, #25, Jr., McKinney, Texas
OUACHITA - Stormi Leonard #6, Fr., Decatur, Texas
OKLAHOMA BAPTIST - Kynnedy Myers, #12, Fr., Rosehill, Kan.
ARKANSAS TECH - Madison Nagel, #14, So., Rowlett, Texas
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS - Taylor Reaume, #24, Sr., El Cajon, Calif.
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS - Hannah Rice, #2, Sr., Bryant, Ark.
OKLAHOMA BAPTIST - Catherine Roth, #13, Sr., Tulsa, Okla.
OUACHITA - Ashley Wake, #9, Jr., Benton, Ark.
 
ALL-GAC HONORABLE MENTION
SOUTHERN NAZARENE - Abbey Bell, #9, Jr., Georgetown, Texas
SOUTHERN NAZARENE - Courtney Bowie, #18, Jr., Bethany, Okla.
OUACHITA - Kori Bullard, #33, So., Hot Springs, Ark.
OKLAHOMA BAPTIST - Denise Corioescu, #7, Jr., New Caney, Texas
NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE - Natalie Fahey, #4, Jr., San Jose, Calif.
OKLAHOMA BAPTIST - Nicole Fleitman, #6, Fr., Lindsay, Texas
HENDERSON STATE - Jessica Jacoby, #6, Jr., Gilmer, Texas
SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA STATE - Abby Jameson, #9, Fr., Prosper, Texas
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS - Alli O'Banion, #4, So., Dos Palos, Calif.
SOUTHERN NAZARENE - McKenna Qualls, #16, Jr., Edmond, Okla.
SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE - Kelsi Schmidtberger, #9, Jr., Houston, Texas
HARDING - Sara Smith, #3, Jr., Aledo, Texas
ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO - Kya Standford, #2, Jr., Grand Prairie, Texas
NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE - Noralia To'omalatai, #13, Jr., Hesperia, Calif.
 
Crafton Tull Elite Scholar
Emilie Aase - SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
 
Crafton Tull Distinguished Scholars
Sara Smith - HARDING
Kaydee Yukawa - NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE
Emily Alderson - OUACHITA
Ashley Wake - OUACHITA
Jessica Baker - SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA STATE
Hannah Rice - SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
McKenna Qualls - SOUTHERN NAZARENE
Kaila Lancaster - SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE