.png)
.png)
Tulsa Volleyball Players Land Three All-Conference USA Honors
11/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 20, 2008
Tulsa, Okla. - Junior outside hitter Jennifer Eichler was named Conference USA Volleyball Newcomer of the Year, while senior outside hitter Beth Hodge and freshman setter Rachel Vukson garnered all-conference honors, the league office announced Thursday.
Eichler, who is a junior college transfer that has made a huge impact on the team and the conference, was also named to the All-Conference USA Second Team. Hodge was named an All-Conference First Team selection, and Vukson was selected to the C-USA All-Freshman Team.
Eichler leads the Golden Hurricane in kills, with 384 and points with 434.5, and ranks second on the squad with 3.20 kills per set, and hits a .280 attack percentage. She has also tallied 81 total blocks - 10 solo and 71 assists. In C-USA matches, Eichler has recorded 190 kills (3.11 k/s) and hit .267, and blocked 43 total attacks - five solo and 38 assists.
"Quite, frankly, we expected Jen Eichler to be the Newcomer of the Year," Tulsa head coach Ed Allen said. "We expected her to come in and have an impact on our team and in the league. We expect her to continue to work hard and come back in her senior year and literally carry the load of our offense."
Vukson has been the primary setter for Tulsa this season, and has developed a great deal over the course of the season. She tallied 988 assists for an average of 10.29 per set, and leads the team with 28 service aces. She has also recorded 191 digs, 47 total blocks - including six solo - and 40 kills. In conference matches, she has tallied 648 assists (10.98 per set), 17 aces and 28 blocks.
"Rachel is extremely deserving of this honor," said Allen. "She has worked hard to improve throughout the year. She has made great strides in her understanding of the game. she did a great job of running the offense and understanding what we want to accomplish on offense. She has improved dramatically over the last two-and-a-half months. I am excited for her."
Hodge leads the Hurricane in kills per set with 3.48, while ranking second on the squad in kills with 348, in digs per set with 2.68 and points with 382. She has tallied 268 digs, which ranks third on the team, and hits for a .245 attack percentage. In league matches, Hodge leads the team with 211 kills, 3.98 kills per set and 224 points. She ranks second in digs with 142, has blocked 16 total attacks and hits a .239 attack percentage.
"This is a great honor for that kid to have," Allen said of Hodge. "She has come in here (with one season of eligibility) and helped our team to a top-five conference finish."
All Tulsa Golden Hurricane volleyball news and information can be found at www.TulsaHurricane.com.
