Nov. 15, 2007

FRISCO - Texas State junior middle blocker Amy Weigle was one of 12 players named to the All-Southland Conference First-Team, league offices announced Thursday.

Lawrencia Brown also represented the Bobcats on the All-SLC Second Team, while Melinda Cave and Emily Jones earned honorable mention honors. Lamar's Molli Abel was named the 2007 Southland Conference Player of the Year after leading the Lady Cardinals to the regular season title.

Weigle leads the `Cats in attack percentage with a .350 mark that also ranks second in the SLC while also ranking second on the Bobcats in blocks with a 1.22 per game average and third in kills at 2.57 per game. Her block tally is also among the conference leaders, ranking fourth.

On the season Weigle has totaled 126 blocks, including 109 block assists. She currently sits just shy of etching her name in the Texas State record books, needing only five more block assists to surpass Laura Ivy for fifth place on the single-season block assist record. Additionally, Weigle's .350 hitting percentage would currently stand as the third best mark in Texas State volleyball history.

Brown earned second team honors for the second straight season after leading the Bobcats in kills during the regular season with a 3.28 per game average. The junior outside hitter also ranks second on the squad in digs per game at 3.12 while also adding 0.74 blocks and 0.32 aces per game.

Cave was a candidate for SLC Freshman of the Year after ranking second on the Bobcats in kills per game in SLC play with a 2.93 average, up from her 2.51 mark for the entire season. She also averages 0.69 digs and 0.62 blocks per game against conference opponents.

Jones has emerged as a key middle blocker for Texas State, leading the Bobcats in blocks with 144 total stuffs, a 1.37 average that ranks in the top 40 for all of NCAA Division I. Her 125 block assists on the season also currently sits seven shy of the single-season record in Bobcat history. Offensively, Jones averages 2.37 kills per game, good for fifth on the team.

Below is a list of the All-Southland Conference honorees:

2007 ALL-SOUTHLAND VOLLEYBALL TEAMS

First Team

Name -- University -- Pos. -- Ht. -- Cl. -- Hometown/Previous School
Molli Abel -- Lamar -- MB -- 6'0 -- Sr. -- Friendswood, Texas
Adrianne Meengs -- Lamar -- S -- 5'9 -- So. -- Friendswood, Texas
Traci Rohde -- Stephen F. Austin -- MB -- 6'2 -- Sr. -- Norman, Okla.
Lauren Railey -- Stephen F. Austin -- OH -- 5'10 -- Jr. -- McKinney, Texas
Cynthia Yarotsky -- Sam Houston State -- OH -- 5'11 -- Sr. -- Montgomery, Texas
Victoria Prior -- UTSA -- MB -- 6'2 -- Jr. -- Galveston, Texas
JJ Jones -- Stephen F. Austin -- S -- 5'10 -- Sr. -- Allen, Texas
Kaci Brewer -- Lamar -- OH -- 5'10 -- So. -- Castroville, Texas
Robyn Smith -- Central Arkansas -- S -- 5'9 -- So. -- Lubbock, Texas
Amy Weigle -- Texas State -- MB -- 6'1 -- Jr. -- Arlington, Texas
Torie Dacus -- UT Arlington -- RS -- 6'0 -- Sr. -- Red Oak, Texas
Ellen Murray -- UT Arlington -- MB -- 6'0 -- Sr. -- Arlington, Texas

Second Team

Name -- University -- Pos. -- Ht. -- Cl. -- Hometown/Previous School
Emily Neddermann -- UT Arlington -- S -- 5'10 -- Sr. -- Colleyville, Texas
Chloe Smith -- Central Arkansas -- MB -- 6'3 -- Fr. -- San Diego, Calif.
Kendra Rowland -- UTSA -- OH -- 5'11 -- Fr. -- Anitoch, Calif.
Jami Hill -- Stephen F. Austin -- Lib. -- 5'9 -- Sr. -- Bonham, Texas
Lawrencia Brown -- Texas State -- OH -- 5'10 -- Jr. -- Austin, Texas
Jessica Strama -- McNeese State -- Lib. -- 5'9 -- Sr. -- Lemont, Ill.

Honorable Mention: Andrea Hamilton, LU; Sarah Cartie, MCN; Laura North, AMCC; Christie Feliz, AMCC; Emily Jones, TXST; Melinda Cave, TXST

Player of the Year ------------ Molli Abel, Lamar
Freshman of the Year ------ Chloe Smith, Central Arkansas
Newcomer of the Year ----- Shalayne Blythe, Lamar
Libero of the Year ------------ Jami Hill, Stephen F. Austin
Setter of the Year ------------ Adrianne Meengs, Lamar
Coach of the Year------------- Justin Gibert, Lamar