Three Lone Star Conference volleyball standouts were honored Tuesday as league officials announced the 2012 Preseason Players of the Year.
      Texas Woman’s Viktorija Jablonska earned Offensive Player of the Year acclaim, while West Texas A&M’s Erin Dougherty and Lacy Hayes were tabbed Defensive Player of the Year and Setter of the Year, respectively.
      The league’s preseason awards were selected by a vote of LSC head coaches and sports information directors, plus various media representatives from throughout the region.
      Jablonska, a senior right side hitter from Daugavpils, Latvia, was the top choice for offensive honors, with 13 of 27 votes to top five others.  The 2011 Lone Star Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, she led the Pioneers on offense with 445 kills, 3.84 kills per set, a .296 hitting percentage and 479 points. 
      Dougherty, a senior middle blocker from Omaha, Neb., prevailed for defensive recognition with eight of the 27 votes to finish ahead of Tarleton State’s Nikki McNorton, Cameron’s Julisa Ocasio and five others.  The reigning LSC Defensive Player of Year ranked in the top five nationally for blocks per set (1.48) and was named to the South Central Regional Tournament Team last season.
      Hayes earned Setter of the Year honors with 18 of the 27 votes to top Angelo State’s Alex Woolsey and one other.  The senior from Houston, Texas, ranked in the top-10 nationally in assists per set (11.53) and was named a member of the LSC All-Tournament Team and the LSC Setter of the Year.  Hayes has earned AVCA All-American honors for the first time. 
      These talented players will lead their teams into the 2012 season which begins August 31.  The LSC has 11 teams set to compete utilizing a one-conference double round-robin scheduling model, in which each team will play a home and away match against each of the other teams.