FRISCO, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word volleyball team's outside hitter, Autumn Lockley (Leander/Leander HS), earned Southland Conference Freshman of the Year honors as voted by the league coaches and sports information directors Wednesday, along with the release of the all-conference teams.

Lockley collected a team-best 306 kills on the season, 3.09 per set, which also ranked ninth in the conference. She also led the team with a .231 hitting percentage and had the second most service aces with 18.  In conference play, she averaged 3.55 kills per set which was the fifth-best mark overall.  In addition to being the conference's freshman of the year she was also named to the Southland Conference first team.

In the 2015 season, Lockley eclipsed at least 20 kills in five different matches and had double-digit kills in 15, including 13 of 16 conference matches.  During a three-match stretch in conference play, she summed an impressive 63 kills.  She set a career-high in kills on October 6 at Abilene Christian with 23.  Her best hitting percentage came against New Orleans on October 24, when she hit .467 with 16 kills.

The 2015 All-Southland Conference teams are comprised of 12 first-team and six second-team members. Teams are chosen by vote of the league's head coaches and sports information directors. To receive honorable mention, a player must receive votes from 25 percent of the league's head coaches and sports information directors. Recipients are placed by the number of votes received.

The 2015 Southland Conference Volleyball Tournament gets underway Friday in Conway, Ark. The championship match will be available exclusively on ESPN3 with Lincoln Rose and Brooke Bentley on the call. ESPN3 is available via WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app. In addition, all quarterfinal and semifinal matches will be streamed live on the Southland Conference Digital Network, available at Southland.org/watch and on the league's mobile and tablet apps. Greg Miller and Chris Mycoskie will handle play-by-play duties for the quarterfinal and semifinal matches.
 
2015 All-Southland Conference Volleyball Teams
First Team

Name	Class	Pos.	School	Hometown
Heather Schnars3	Sr.	OH	Central Arkansas	Downey, Calif.
Justice Walker2	Jr.	MB	Stephen F. Austin	Forth Worth, Texas
Ivy Baresh	Sr.	OH	A&M-Corpus Christi	Arlington, Texas
Kristyn Nicholson	So.	S	A&M-Corpus Christi	Lewisville, Texas
Malina Sanchez	Sr.	OH	McNeese State	Lake Jackson, Texas
Kate Klepetka	So.	L	A&M-Corpus Christi	Allen, Texas
Jennifer Loerch	Sr.	OH	Abilene Christian	Georgetown, Texas
Brittany Gilpin	So.	MB	A&M-Corpus Christi	Houston, Texas
OJ Olson3	Sr.	L	Stephen F. Austin	Cedar Park, Texas
Chelsea Grant2	Jr.	MB	Lamar	Killeen, Texas
Autumn Lockley	Fr.	OH	UIW	Leander, Texas
Megan Nash	So.	RS	Central Arkansas	Oakville, Canada

 
Second Team

Name	Class	Pos.	School	Hometown
Allison Doerpinghaus2	Sr.	MB	Houston Baptist	Palo Alto, Calif.
Jessica Wooten2	Jr.	OH	Houston Baptist	Humble, Texas
Jacque Allen2	Sr.	MB	Stephen F. Austin	Mansfield, Texas
Amy South	Sr.	S	Central Arkansas	Spring, Texas
Kelly Graham	Sr.	S	McNeese State	Longmont, Colo.
Madison Hoover	Sr.	L	Abilene Christian	Flower Mound, Texas

²Two-time all-conference
³Three-time all-conference
 
Individual Award Winners
Player of the Year: Heather Schnars, Central Arkansas
Setter of the Year: Kristyn Nicholson, A&M-Corpus Christi
Libero of the Year: Kate Klepetka, A&M-Corpus Christi
Newcomer of the Year: Bailey Banks, Houston Baptist
Freshman of the Year: Autumn Lockley, UIW
Katrinka Jo Crawford Coach of the Year: Tony Graystone, A&M-Corpus Christi
 
Honorable Mention: Glynna Johnson, MB, Northwestern State; Landry Bullock, MB/OH, Southeastern La.; Taylor Cunningham, OH/MB, Sam Houston State; Kaci Eaton, OH, Nicholls; Kayla Armer, S, Houston Baptist; Blessing Dunn, OH, New Orleans; Bailey Banks, OH, Houston Baptist.
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