Echebelem is All-Louisiana, Player of Year runner-up

Chinedu Echebelem

NEW ORLEANS -- When Xavier University of Louisiana's 2014 women's volleyball season started, Chinedu Echebelem was a 3-year standout player transitioning to student manager. She was looking ahead to completing her academic obligations in December. But when the Gold Nuggets opened with two straight losses, she rethought her role.

"I decided I had much more that I could contribute to the team," Echebelem said.

Echebelem asked to rejoined the team, was accepted without hesitation, and she helped get the Gold Nuggets back on track. Xavier won its first 10 matches after Echebelem's return -- the second-longest streak in the program's history -- won its fourth consecutive regular-season and tournament championships in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and earned a fourth straight automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship.

Echebelem, a 5-foot-6 outside hitter from Dallas and a graduate of Duncanville High School, added to her 2014 honors late Saturday when she was named All-Louisiana first team by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. She was runner-up for Player of the Year; Louisiana-Lafayette setter Andrea Hole edged Echebelem by one vote.

"Nay (Echebelem) picked up where she left off last year," XU coach Hannah Lawing said. "When she rejoined the team she was in shape and ready to go. She stepped in and gave us great senior leadership."

Echebelem recorded 205 kills, 264 digs, nine aces, 25 assists and 17 blocks in 22 matches and reached career highs for kills per set, digs per set and hitting percentage. She had eight kill-dig double-doubles, including 21 kills and 21 digs Oct. 1 in a five-set victory at SUNO.

Echebelem was selected GCAC Player of the Year and, for the third time, All-GCAC. She was CoSIDA Academic All-District and repeated as a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete.

It's the fourth straight year that Xavier has All-Louisiana representation and the third straight year the Nuggets have a first-team selection.

Lawing, whose Nuggets finished 20-6 overall and 14-0 in the GCAC, was runner-up in voting for Louisiana Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. Earning that honor was Northwestern State's Hugh and Stephanie Hernesman, who are co-coaches and married to each other.

An LSWA panel of sports publicists selected the All-Louisiana team, which consists of players from NCAA Division I and NAIA members.

2014 All-Louisiana Women's Volleyball team

FIRST TEAM
Chinedu Echebelem, senior, Xavier
Kaci Eaton, sophomore, Nicholls State
Andrea Hole, senior, Louisiana-Lafayette
Briana Holman, sophomore, LSU
Cati Leak, junior, LSU
Mackenzie Neely, senior, Northwestern State
Kalynn Egea, senior, Nicholls State

SECOND TEAM
Eva Allen, junior, Loyola
Rachel Cagnina, senior, McNeese State
Stacey DiFrancesco, senior, Northwestern State
Glynna Johnson, junior, Northwestern State
Tea Juric, sophomore, Tulane
Malorie Pardo, senior, LSU
Rebecca Redgen, senior, Louisiana Tech
Marcela Araya, senior, Louisiana-Monroe

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Andrea Hole, Louisiana-Lafayette
Voting: Hole 4, Echebelem 3, Holman 2, Neely 2, Allen 1

LIBERO OF THE YEAR: Kalynn Egea, Nicholls State
Voting: Egea 7, Araya 2, Morgan Todd (Southeastern Louisiana) 2, Haley Smith (LSU) 1

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Kaci Eaton, Nicholls State (only nominee)

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Sarah Ray, Tulane
Voting: Ray 5, Bayleigh Hoffman (Louisiana-Monroe) 4, Gina Tillis (LSU) 3

COACH OF THE YEAR: Hugh and Stephanie Hernesman, Northwestern State
Voting: Hernesmans 6, Hannah Lawing (Xavier) 3, Fran Flory (LSU) 2, Heather Mazeitis-Fontenot (Louisiana-Lafayette) 1.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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