PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference announced the 2013 volleyball award winners, with conference champion Louisville leading the pack with three honorees. USF sophomore Erin Fairs was named Player of the Year. Louisville’s Caitlin Welch was named Libero of the Year, while teammate Maya McClendon was a unanimous selection as Freshman of the Year. SMU’s Avery Acker garnered Setter of the Year honors. Anne Kordes, who led Louisville to the inaugural championship, was named Coach of the Year.
 
Fairs was named Player of the Year after pacing The American with 3.73 kills per set. Her 429 kills were 34 more than the second-highest total in the conference. Fairs also posted 4.41 digs per set, the highest of any outside hitter in the league and sixth overall. She also led the league with 3.97 kills per set during conference play. Fairs was the catalyst for USF, leading the Bulls in kills, digs and points en route to a 17-15 record and a 11-7 conference mark. She also earned three Player of the Week honors, coming consecutively between Oct. 14 and 28, a three-week stretch where she averaged 4.2 kills per set and 3.9 digs per set. Fairs had 26 kills at Cincinnati on Oct. 13, the best single-game mark in the conference this year.
 
Welch was named Libero of the Year after posting 4.92 digs per set on the year, which ranked in the top 50 nationally. Welch had a sterling 5.45 digs-per-set average in conference play, easily leading the league as Louisville went 18-0 in The American. Guided by Welch, the Cardinals held opponents to a conference-best .161 hitting percentage. Her 40 digs against UCF on Oct. 13 were the most in The American in a game this season.
 
Acker was named Setter of the Year after posting an 11.21 assist-per-set average to lead the Mustangs to second place in the conference with a 14-4 league mark and a 22-9 overall record. Acker helped lead an SMU attack that finished with a .243 hitting percentage and 13.62 kills per set, both good for second best in the conference. During conference play, Acker led The American with 11.56 assists per set and 728 total assists.

McClendon was named Freshman of the Year after an outstanding debut season for the Cardinals. She led Louisville with 3.13 kills per set as the Cardinals paced the conference with 13.9 kills per set for the season. Additionally, she totaled 332 digs for a 3.16 dig-per-set average. She was the only freshman to finish in the top 12 in the conference in both kills/set and digs/set. McClendon was named American Freshman of the Week a league-high seven times throughout the season.
 
Kordes was named Coach of the Year after winning the conference in its inaugural season. Kordes’ squad began the season at No. 19 in the national poll, but started 2-6 after eight games of a tough nonconference schedule. Since Sept. 14, the Cardinals have rolled, winning 21 of their final 22 games and going a perfect 18-0 to sweep the conference. In the 18 league matches, Louisville only dropped eight sets. During the conference schedule, Louisville led The American in hitting percentage (.289), opponent hitting percentage (.123), assists (13.69 per set), kills (14.73 per set), and digs (17.42 per set). Kordes earned her 200^th career win during the season, and is currently 77-20 in four years at Louisville.
 
 
The American also announced the all-conference teams, with 12 players each on the first and second teams. Six players from Louisville were recognized, with a league-high five (Welch, McClendon, Katie George, Emily Juhl, and Brooke Mattingly) on the first team. Second-place SMU had five representatives, with three (Acker, Janelle Giordano and Caroline Young) on the first team. UCF was third with four representatives, with DeLaina Sarden the lone first teamer. USF had two all-conference players, both first team players in Fairs and Andrea Rodriguez Gomez, with Temple’s Gabriella Matautia rounding out the first team. Sarden, Juhl, McClendon, Fairs, Acker, and Young were all unanimous first team selections. Ten of the 24 all-conference players (including five on the first team) were underclassmen, with three freshmen earning all-conference recognition. Eight of the league’s 10 teams had at least one player named to an all-conference team.
 
2013 American Athletic Conference Women’s Volleyball Award Winners

Player of the Year
Erin Fairs, OH, USF

Libero of the Year
Caitlin Welch, Louisville
 
Setter of the Year
Avery Acker, SMU
 
Freshman of the Year
*Maya McClendon, OH Louisville
 
Coach of the Year
Anne Kordes, Louisville
 
2013 All-Conference
 
First Team
*DeLaina Sarden, UCF, Jr., MB
Katie George, Louisville, So, S
*Emily Juhl, Louisville, Sr., OH
Brooke Mattingly, Louisville, Gr., MB
*Maya McClendon, Louisville, Fr., OH
Caitlin Welch, Louisville, Sr., L
*Erin Fairs, USF, So., OH
Andrea Rodriguez Gomez, USF, Sr., MB
*Avery Acker, SMU, So., S
Janelle Giordano, SMU, Fr., MB
*Caroline Young, SMU, Jr., OH
Gabriella Matautia, Temple, Sr., RS
 
Second Team
Angelica Crump, UCF, RSr., OH
Kaye-Alese Green, UCF, RJr., MB
Jade Hayes, UCF, Jr., L
Marie Reiterova, UCF, RJr., S
Karson Ratliff, UConn, Jr., OH
Kadi Kullerkann, Houston, RSo., RS/OH
Sarita Mikals, Houston, Fr., OH/RS
Randi Ewing, Louisville, Gr., MB
Lauren Hawkins, Memphis, Jr., MB/RS
Alexis Wesley, Memphis, RSo., MB
Cailin Bula, SMU, So., OH
Abbey Bybel, SMU, So., MB
 
* = Unanimous Selection