PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Wichita State volleyball head coach Chris Lamb was named AVCA North Region Coach of the Year, while four American Athletic Conference student-athletes earned All-Region honors as announced by the organization on Tuesday.
The Shockers placed three players on the AVCA All-North Region team with Abbie Lehman making the All-Region first team for the fourth straight year. This year’s American Setter of the Year, Emily Hiebert, as well as outside hitter Tabitha Brown were both named to the All-Region Honorable Mention team.
Joining the Shockers in making the list was UCF’s Kia Bright, who was selected to the All-Southeast Region Honorable Mention team.
In his 18th year at the helm of the program, Lamb led the Shockers to a 29-4 overall record and a 20-0 undefeated season in Wichita State’s first year in the American Athletic Conference. The Shockers played in their 11th NCAA Tournament and earned a national seed and hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. The Shockers enjoyed their 15th straight 20+ season, while holding an AVCA ranking in every week since September 18. Lamb was named this year’s conference coach of the year.
Lehman, a senior middle blocker, finished the year with a conference-leading .441 hitting percentage and 1.35 blocks per set. She was voted this year’s conference Player of the Year and finished her career as the Shockers’ leader in block assists (468) and total blocks (531), while finishing second in hitting percentage (.411).
Hiebert averaged 11.50 assists per set to lead the league this season. She guided her team to hitting a league-high .301, which currently ranks eighth in the nation. Hiebert finished her career as the Shockers’ leader in assists (4,988) and assists per set (10.68). She recorded 10 double-doubles this season.
Brown was named first team All-Conference this year and ranked in The American’s top-10, averaging 3.47 kills per set. She helped Wichita State to owning the top offense in the league that averaged 13.81 kills per set and totaled 1,533 kills. She ended the year with nine double-doubles.
Bright had the second-most kills (489) and points (552) in the conference, while averaging 3.85 kills, 3.05 digs and 4.35 points per set for the Knights to end her senior campaign. She registered a conference-high 22 double-doubles, helping her team to conclude its regular season on a six-match winning streak. Bright guided UCF to the NIVC Second Round.