PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference announced the women’s volleyball awards for the 2015 season, which were voted on by the league’s 11 head coaches.
SMU claimed four of the five major awards with senior Avery Acker earning the American Player of the Year and Setter of the Year. Junior Morgan Heise was selected as the Libero of the Year while Lisa Seifert was tabbed as the Coach of the Year. Cincinnati’s Jordan Thompson claimed Freshman of the Year honors to round out the awards. The American All-Conference first and second teams were also announced.
Acker leads the nation with 12.53 assists per set and directed the top-hitting offense in The American (.262). The senior setter posted 60 or more assists in four matches, including a conference-record 67 assists against TCU on Sept. 18. Acker became the third player in SMU history with 4,000 career assists after recording 42 in a sweep of Tulane on Nov. 13. The product of Poth, Texas, led the Mustangs to the 2015 American Athletic Conference regular season title and a program-best 27 wins.
Heise anchored the top defense in the league and ranks second in the country in digs per set (6.14). The junior libero set a program single-season record with 706 digs, surpassing her previous record set back in 2014. Heise was the recipient of seven conference Defensive Player of the Week awards. The native of Hempstead, Texas, produced 35-plus digs twice in the 2015 season.
Thompson headlined the conference with 4.26 kills per set and ranked second in points per set with 4.54. The freshman produced 20-plus kills in six matches, including a career-high 27 at Tulsa on Oct. 25. Thompson helped Cincinnati to a third-place finish in the league standings with a 13-7 mark and a 21-10 overall record.
Seifert and her staff coached SMU to its first American Athletic Conference regular season title in the 2015 season. The Mustangs will be making their first appearance in the NCAA Championship after finishing the year with a 27-5 overall record. SMU produced a program-record 16 consecutive wins en route to a 17-3 finish in league play. The Mustangs captured three wins against teams ranked in the latest NCAA RPI (TCU, San Diego and Santa Clara). SMU will face Purdue in the first round of the NCAA Championship on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. ET in Austin, Texas.
The 2015 all-conference teams and a complete list of awards are below.
2015 American Women’s Volleyball Awards
Player of the Year
Avery Acker, S, SMU
Libero of the Year
Morgan Heise, SMU
Setter of the Year
Avery Acker, SMU
Freshman of the Year
Jordan Thompson, RS/OH, Cincinnati
Coach of the Year
Lisa Seifert, SMU
First-Team All-Conference
Jale Hervey, OH, UCF
Carly Nolan, OH, Cincinnati
Jordan Thompson, RS.OH, Cincinnati *
Brookah Palmer, OH, Houston *
Janelle Giordano, MB, SMU *
Morgan Heise, L, SMU *
Avery Acker, S, SMU *
Irem Asci, OH, Temple
Kirsten Overton, MB, Temple
Sandra Sydlik, S, Temple
Erica Bohannon, OH, Tulsa
Ashley Hooper, MB, Tulsa
* - Unanimous selection
Second-Team All-Conference
Abbie Fleener, OPP, UCF
Jade Strawberry, OH, UConn
Erika Thomas, MB/RSH, UConn
Olivia O’Dell, L, Houston
Dakota Hampton, OH, USF
Cailin Bula, OH, SMU
Abbey Bybel, OH, SMU
Izzy Rapacz, OH/RS, Temple