JONESBORO, Ark. (11/16/11) – Arkansas State head volleyball coach Justin Ingram was named the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year, while senior Cayla Fielder earned All-Sun Belt Conference first team honors and junior Allison Kearney and sophomore Ashley Tipps were named as second team selections, the league announced at its annual awards banquet Wednesday night.

Under Ingram’s guidance, ASU has won at least a share of the West Division crown in each of the last three seasons, including this year’s outright divisional crown. Ingram led the Red Wolves to a 21-9 overall record and a perfect 8-0 home slate.

Fielder finished the regular season as the team leader with 387 kills and a 3.49 kills per set average. She also led the team with 108 blocks, including 14 unassisted and totaled 76 digs and 23 service aces. The senior middle blocker ranks first in the conference with a .397 hitting percentage, which also ranks as the 12^th best percentage in the nation. Fielder was named as a preseason All-SBC selection this year as well as earning an SBC Player of the Week honor. She was also the first A-State player to be named the College Volleyball Update Player of the Week.

Kearney directed the A-State attacking game this season in her second season as the Red Wolves’ setter. She finished the regular season with 977 assists and a 9.22 assists per set average. She was second on the team with 238 digs and finished with 37 kills. She led the team with 42 service aces and her 0.40 aces per set average ranks third in the conference.

Tipps finished the regular season with 241 kills and a 2.27 kills per set average. She ranked eighth in the Sun Belt Conference with a .308 attacking percentage and her .319 percentage against conference teams ranked seventh in the conference.

Western Kentucky’s Jordyn Skinner and Ashley Potts were selected as the league’s Player of the Year and Defensive Player of The Year, while Arkansas-Little Rock’s Edina Begic took home the Freshman of the Year honor.

The A-State volleyball squad will travel to the Sun Belt Conference Championship Tournament this week, seeded third and is set to take on North Texas Thursday, Nov. 17 at 1:30 p.m. All matches will be available for webstream on SBC Extra and fans can purchase a tournament pass for only $9.95 to tune-in. The championship match at 1 p.m. ET/ 12 p.m. CT will also be broadcast by the Sun Belt Network (times subject to change due to television demands). Network (times subject to change due to television demands).

All-Sun Belt Conference Team

First Team
Cayla Fielder, Arkansas State
Faimie Kingsley, Denver
Jovana Bjelica, FIU
Ashley Adams, Middle Tennessee
Maria Szivos, Middle Tennessee
Tiffany Elmore, WKU
Jordyn Skinner, WKU
Melanie Stutsman, WKU

 Second Team
Edina Begic, UALR
Ashley Tipps, Arkansas State
Allison Kearney, Arkansas State
Oyinlola Oladinni, Middle Tennessee
Eboni Godfrey, North Texas
Courtney Cohen, Troy
Ashley Potts, WKU
Lindsay Williams, WKU 

Freshman of the Year: Edina Begic, UALR
Defensive Player of the Year: Ashley Potts, WKU
Player of the Year: Jordyn Skinner, WKU
Coach of the Year: Justin Ingram, Arkansas State