LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Southland Conference Champion Southeastern Louisiana University volleyball team received more awards for its historic 2023 season as Kailin Newsome and Rachel Hartmann were both named All-South Region Honorable Mentions by the American Volleyball Coaches Association on Tuesday.
 
Newsome, a senior outside hitter from Houston, Texas, picks up her third career AVCA award and second in a row. She finished the season averaging 4.51 points per set and 3.94 kills per set on a .229 attack percentage while setting career highs in assists, 28, service aces, 50, and total blocks, 25. Her 519 total points was also the most she's accumulated in one season during her collegiate career. She had six matches of 20 or more kills, including the Southland Tournament Championship Match where she had 21 in the win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. That all earned Newsome a first team All-Conference honor as well as the AVCA All-South Region honorable mention nod. She was an All-South Region honorable mention following the spring 2021 COVID season and made it onto the All-South Region Team after the 2022 season.
 
Hartmann, a junior opposite from Slidell, La., shined in her first season in Hammond as she averaged 3.74 points per set on 3.18 kills per set on a .333 attack percentage while also scoring on 28 service aces and 69 total blocks on the season, finishing 2023 with 434 total points scored. She also added 74 assists and averaged 2.41 digs per set during the season. She had a season high 24 kills against Houston Christian on Oct. 5^th while she also had a 20-kill performance on a .731 attack percentage against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Nov. 2^nd in the Pride Roofing University Center. The AVCA All-South Region Honorable Mention award is added to her SLC Newcomer of the Year award as well as her All-Conference first team selection.
 
The Lady Lions finished the 2023 season with a program record-tying 28 wins, won its first Southland Conference regular season championship and followed that with a second-straight SLC Tournament title and automatic berth into the NCAA National Championship Tournament.
 
DIGGIN' IT CLUB / S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the Southeastern volleyball program are encouraged to join the Diggin' It Club. Lion volleyball alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
 
All membership fees and donations to both the Diggin' It Club and S Club (volleyball) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern volleyball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Lady Lions Volleyball, follow @LionUpVB or @JWhiteSLU on Twitter, @LionUpVB on Instagram, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.