All-Louisiana: Kirk on first team, Reuther on second team

(L) MOIRA KIRK AND TAYLOR REUTHER (R)

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Moira Kirk was a first-team selection on the All-Louisiana women's volleyball team announced late Saturday, and teammmate Taylor Reuther made the second team.
    
It's the first time that Kirk — a 5-foot-9 junior middle blocker from Dallas and a graduate of Bishop Lynch High School — was named All-Louisiana. Reuther, a 5-foot-7 junior outside hitter from Metairie, La., and a graduate of St. Mary's Dominican High School, is All-Louisiana for the third tiime. She made the second team in 2011 and the first team a year ago.
    
Kirk produced 311 kills to rank second on her team and led the Gold Nuggets in hitting percentage (.347) and blocks (87) for the third consecutive year. Kirk hit .436 during the Nuggets' school-record 20-match win streak.
    
Reuther led Xavier in kills (395), aces (39), digs (403) and double-doubles (18) for the third consecutive season. She became the first to reach 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in an XU career.
    
It's the first time that Xavier produced two All-Louisiana volleyball players in the same season.
    
Kirk finished third in voting for Player of the Year. XU's Hannah Lawing was the runner-up to Tulane's Sinisa Momic for Coach of the Year. Lawing, in her first season as head coach, led Xavier to a 26-8 record, Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships and a berth in the NAIA National Championship. The Gold Nuggets set a school record for season victories and extended their winning streak against GCAC opponents to 43.
    
The GCAC championships and the appearances at the national tournament were Xavier's third in a row. The Gold Nuggets set school records for road victories (17), victories on opponents' courts (9), kills per set (12.6), hitting percentage (.249) and digs per set (15.4). They recorded four victories against NAIA tournament qualifiers and became the first XU team to win all home matches (9-0).
    
A Louisiana Sports Writers Association panel of sports publicists selected the All-Louisiana team, which consists of players from NCAA Division I and NAIA members.

2013 All-Louisiana Women's Volleyball Team

FIRST TEAM
Briana Holman, freshman, LSU
Tea Juric, freshman, Tulane
Moira Kirk, junior, Xavier
Cati Leak, sophomore, LSU
Mel Mandelbaum, senior, Tulane
Cori Martone, senior, Tulane
Libero:  Keelie Arenson, junior, Northwestern State

SECOND TEAM
Stacey Defrancesco, junior, Northwestern State
Ashley Elrod, freshman, Northwestern State
Andrea Hole, junior, Louisiana-Lafayette
Malorie Pardo, junior, LSU
Taylor Reuther, junior, Xavier
Malina Sanchez, sophomore, McNeese State
Libero:  Marcela Araya, junior, Louisiana-Monroe
      
PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Briana Holman, LSU
Voting:  Holman 7, Martone 3, Kirk 2

LIBERO OF THE YEAR:  Keelie Arenson, Northwestern State
Voting:  Arenson 6, Araya 4, Grace Weaver (Tulane) 1, Haley Smith (LSU) 1

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR  Celeste Ramirez, New Orleans
Voting:  Ramirez was only nominee

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:  (tie) Briana Holman, LSU; Tea Juric, Tulane
Voting:  Holman 6, Juric 6

COACH OF THE YEAR:  Sinisa Momic, Tulane
Voting:  Momic 8, Hannah Lawing (Xavier) 2, Hugh and Stephanie Hernesman (Northwestern State) 1, Heather Mazeitis-Fontenot (Louisiana-Lafayette) 1

HONORABLE MENTION
Eva Allen, sophomore, Loyola
Kayla Burling, freshman, Nicholls State
Maria Coelho, junior, Louisiana Tech
Desiree Elliott, senior, LSU
Chantelle Gardner, freshman, Louisiana-Lafayette
Kayla Mashburn, freshman, Nicholls State
Caiti O'Connell, junior, Northwestern State
Tonice White, senior, Louisiana-Lafayette


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA