FRISCO, Texas – Southeastern Louisiana University volleyball players Courtney Donald and Megan McMillin were honored by the Southland Conference Wednesday with the release of the All-Conference team.

Donald was named first-team All-Southland while McMillin earned an honorable mention.

A senior from Tomball, Texas (Tomball HS), Donald heads into the Southland Conference Tournament third in kills (3.68 per set) and fifth in the conference with a Southeastern single-season record .333 attack percentage.

Her selection marks the first time a Southeastern player has been named to the All-Conference team since Brittany Gaydos was named to the third team in 2004. Hall of Famer Sarah Gascon was the last Lady Lion named to the first team (2002 and 2003). Paige Dollison earned an honorable mention last season.

The senior middle blocker is tied for the fifth-best career attack percentage (.245) in school history. She also ranks among the best in Southeastern history with 415 sets (tied-eighth) played in 123 matches (tied-sixth),  1,032 kills (seventh), 2,792 attempts (seventh), 40 solo blocks (tied-ninth), 219 block assists (seventh), 259 total blocks (eighth) and 1,200.5 points (eighth).

Joining Donald on the first team are Central Arkansas' Marissa Collins (Setter of the Year), Alicia Dittrich and Jessica Hays, Northwestern State's Keelie Arneson and Stacey DiFrancesco, Oral Roberts' Sheina Fernandes and Bruna Silva (Libero of the Year), Sam Houston State's Kendall Cleveland and Deveney Wells-Gibson (Player of the Year), Stephen F. Austin's Jill Ivy and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's Shannon Hullum.

Sam Houston State, which claimed a share of the conference championship, also took an additional inidividual honor as Brenda Gray was named Coach of the Year.

McMillin, Southeastern's libero, earned her honorable mention after finishing fifth in the Southland with an average 4.20 digs per set. The junior from Shorewood, Ill. (Minooka Community HS), improved upon last season's 3.53 per-set average while posting a single-game best three times during the 2012 season. Her 27 digs against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi currently stands as her career high.

The 2012 All-Southland Conference Volleyball 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. Recipients are placed by the number of votes received.

Southeastern returns to action Friday at 6:30 p.m. against top-seeded Central Arkansas in the 2012 Southland Conference Tournament.

An all-tournament pass for the Southland tournament is $15, while tickets for each day are $10 for adults and $7 for students. Students at Southland Conference schools are admitted free with a valid institutional ID. Tickets are available by calling 501-852-2234 or by visiting www.ucasports.com.

The semifinals will be held Saturday and the championship match will be televised on the Southland Conference Television Network, available live on more than 20 affiliates across the league's four-state region and nationwide on ESPN3. For a list of stations, visit www.southland.org/television. The championship match will take place on Sunday, Nov. 18, at 2 p.m. In addition, all matches of the tournament will be streamed live on the new Southland Conference Digital Network, available at www.southland.org and on the league's iPhone and Android mobile and tablet apps. 


All-Conference First Team
Name     School    Class Hometown
Deveney Wells-Gibson  -  Sam Houston State  -  So.  -  San Antonio, Texas
Jessica Hays  -  Central Arkansas  -  Sr.  -  Friendswood, Texas
Marissa Collins  -  Central Arkansas  -  Jr.  -  Pearland, Texas
Sheina Fernandes  -  Oral Roberts  -  Sr.  -  Porto Alegre, Brazil
Jill Ivy  -  Stephen F. Austin  -  So.  -  Katy, Texas
Kendall Cleveland  -  Sam Houston State  -  Sr.  -  Houston, Texas
Stacey DiFrancesco  -  Northwestern State  -  So.  -  The Woodlands, Texas
Bruna Silva  -  Oral Roberts  -  Jr.  -  Niteroi, Brazil
Shannon Hullum  -  Texas A&M-Corpus Christi  -  Sr.  -  Van, Texas
Courtney Donald  -  Southeastern Louisiana  -  Sr.  -  Tomball, Texas
Keelie Arneson  -  Northwestern State  -  So.  -  Spring, Texas
Alicia Dittrich  -  Central Arkansas  -  So.  -  Houston, Texas

All-Conference Second Team
Name     School    Class  Hometown
Jennifer Brandt  -  Nicholls State  -  Sr.  -  Wallis, Texas
Tayler Gray  -  Sam Houston State  -  Jr.  -  Huntsville, Texas
Madison Hanlan  - Stephen F. Austin  -  Sr.  -  Arlington, Texas
Sabrina Burns  -  Stephen F. Austin  -  Sr.  -  McAlester, Okla.
Brooke Alverson  -  Texas A&M-Corpus Christi  -  Jr.  -  Rhome, Texas
Kim Black  -  Sam Houston State  -  Sr.  -  Huntsville, Texas

Coach of the Year: Brenda Gray, Sam Houston State
Player of the Year: Deveney Wells-Gibson, Sam Houston State, So., San Antonio, Texas
Freshman of the Year: Courtney Moore, Lamar, Fr., Houston, Texas
Newcomer of the Year: Courtni Bauer, McNeese State, Jr., Pottsboro, Texas (Blinn JC)
Libero of the Year: Bruna Silva, Oral Roberts, Jr., Niteroi, Brazil
Setter of the Year: Marissa Collins, Central Arkansas, Jr., Pearland, Texas

Honorable Mention: Brianna Brink, OH, A&M-Corpus Christi; Taylor Hammonds, MB, Central Arkansas; Emily Sweet, S, Northwestern State; Laura Taylor, S, Oral Roberts; Kaylee Hawkins, OH, Sam Houston State; Caiti O'Connell, OH, Northwestern State; Tori Bates, OH, Stephen F. Austin; Megan McMillin, L, Southeastern Louisiana; Sarah Terry, MB, Nicholls State; Courtni Bauer, MB, McNeese State; Cortney Moore, MB, Lamar.