Three Lone Star Conference volleyball stars were honored Tuesday as league officials announced the 2010 Preseason Players of the Year.
Abilene Christian claimed two of the honors as Shawna Hines was named Defensive Player of the Year and Ijoema Moronu received Setter of the Year recognition. Central Oklahoma’s Zuela Adom picked up Offensive Player of the Year acclaim.
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.
Adom, a senior outside hitter from Euless, Texas, was the top choice for offensive honors, earning 11 of 33 votes to top Angelo State’s Chelsea Gibson (five). A second-team Daktronics All-South Central Region and first-team All-LSC selection, she hit a solid .235 with 361 kills (2.98/set) last season while adding 76 blocks, 196 digs and 19 service aces.
Hines was the top choice for defensive acclaim, collecting 17 of the 33 votes to finish ahead of Midwestern State’s Kiara Jordan (six).
A senior from Aurora, Colo., Hines was voted third team NCAA Division II all-America by the nation's sports information directors and honorable mention all-America by the American Volleyball Coaches' Association. Hines led the nation in total blocks (190) and blocks per set (1.58) while pacing the Wildcats to a 29-6 record in 2009. She was also voted first-team all-LSC and the LSC's Defensive Player of the Year, and named to the LSC Championship all-tournament team.
Moronu was the nearly unanimous pick for Setter of the Year with 32 votes. Incarnate Word’s Sarah Nordman received the remaining vote.
The Fort Worth, Texas, native was a first-team all-LSC pick with over 1,000 assists for the second straight season in 2009 moving her into third place on the ACU All-Time list. She was named LSC Setter of the Week five times including the last week of the season, helping the Wildcats to a 14-game winning streak to end the season.
These talented players will lead their teams into the 2010 season which begins September 2. The LSC has 15 teams set to compete utilizing a one-conference, single round-robin scheduling model, in which each team will play one match against each of the other teams.