Three Sam Houston State volleyball players have been named as first team selections and a fourth Bearkat earned honorable mention as the league announced 2009 All-Southland Conference volleyball squad Wednesday.

Senior middle blocker Anna Ferguson of Dallas / Lake Highlands, sophomore outside hitter Carli Kolbe of College Station / A&M Consolidated and freshman libero Kaylee Hawkins of Dickinson are the three Bearkats selected first team All-Southland Conference.

Freshman setter Michelle Miller of Round Rock was an honorable mention selection.

The quartet led the Bearkats to a 20-13 record this fall in regular season action, the most victories by a Sam Houston State volleyball team since 1996. The Bearkats will be the number two seed at the Southland Conference post-season tournament in San Antonio which begins Friday. The winner of the tournament earns the league's NCAA tournament berth.

Ferguson capped an outstanding four-year career which has seen the senior become only the 18th Bearkat volleyball player to total more than 1,000 kills. Ferguson totaled 434 kills in 33 matches in 2009, averaging 3.5 kills per set. She also led the team in blocks with 120, ranking in the top eight all-time in blocks at Sam Houston.

Kolbi was the leading hitter for Sam Houston will 444 kills in 1352 attempts. She also led the squad in digs with 699 and is tops in the Southland Conference in matches with both double figure kills and digs.

Kolbi and Ferguson finished the regular season ranked third and fourth, respectively in kills in the Southland.

Hawkins ranks third in the Southland in digs per set with a 4.28 average. The freshman's moved to libero corresponded with a Bearkats' sudden surge of victories as Sam Houston rolled up an 11-match winning streak, longest since 1993.

Miller stepped in as starting setter when veteran Kym Loving was lost for the season to an injury as guided the Bearkats to a 12-4 Southland Conference record and runner-up finish in the Southland West Division. The freshman ranks number two in the league in assists with 1,009 for a 9.7 assists per set average.

Sam Houston State will face Nicholls at 4 p.m. Friday in the quarterfinals of the Southland Conference post-season tournament. A victory would put the Kats in the semifinals Saturday against the winner of the Stephen F. Austin vs. UTSA match. The championship match is Sunday at 2 p.m.

Both quarterfinal and semifinal matches will be streamed live on SLC Now on-line at www.Southland.org. The finals will be televised regionally by the Southland TV Network.

2009 All-Southland Conference Volleyball Teams

First Team
Chloe Smith                      Central Arkansas                     RS           Jr.          
Anna Ferguson                 Sam Houston                       MB         Sr
Jessica Weynand             Texas State                                 OH         Sr.          
Robyn Smith                     Central Arkansas                     S              Sr.          
Ashley Bailey                    Stephen F. Austin                    MB         Sr
Amber Calhoun               Texas State                                 MB         So.         
Carli Kolbe                         Sam Houston                      OH         So.         
Evaree Franklin                Central Arkansas                     MB         Sr.          
Adrianne Meengs           Lamar                                          S           Sr.          
Emma Ridley                     A&M-Corpus Christi                  OH         Jr.         
Kaylee Hawkins               Sam Houston                          L           Fr.          
Tara Frantz                          UT Arlington                          OH         So.         

Second Team
Cristin Curl                         Central Arkansas                      L              So.         
MC Bottles                         Stephen F. Austin                     MB         So.         
Wendy Krell                       Lamar                                      MB         Fr.          
Mo Middleton                   Texas State                                OH         Jr.          
Emily Shearin                    UT Arlington                              MB         So.         
Whitney Walls                  UTSA                                         OH         Fr.          

Honorable Mention:
Lauren Holdorff, Lamar
Priscilla Massengale, McNeese State
Amy Whitehead, Nicholls
Yelena Enwere, Northwestern State
Michelle Miller, Sam Houston
Alex Greer, Southeastern Louisiana
Madison Hanlan, Stephen F. Austin
Bianca Sauls, UT Arlington
Kelsey Jewasko, UTSA
Kendra Rowland, UTSA

Player of the Year - Chloe Smith, Central Arkansas

Libero of the Year - Cristin Curl, Central Arkansas

Setter of the Year - Robyn Smith, Central Arkansas

Freshman of the Year - Wendy Krell, Lamar

Newcomer of the Year - Emma Ridley, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Coach of the Year - Steven McRoberts, Central Arkansas