DANVILLE, Va. — Seven different programs from across the Commonwealth of Virginia were represented on the 2013 Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) College Division All-State Women's Volleyball Team, which was announced on Tuesday. The major awards were headlined by Averett University's Allison Sparks and Washington & Lee University's M.A. Boles, who were voted Co-Players of the Year. Christopher Newport University freshman Briana Sutton was named the Rookie of the Year while CNU's Lindsay Birch was named the Coach of the Year for the seventh consecutive season.
Sparks, a senior outside hitter, was named the 2013 USA South Conference Player of the Year and was selected to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America Third Team while leading Averett to the USA South North Division championship. She was also voted to the AVCA South Atlantic All-region First Team, the USA South All-Conference First Team and USA South All-Tournament Team while averaging 4.28 kills, 2.70 digs and 0.41 service aces per set. Sparks led the USA South in kills and kills average, and she also set the conference's record for kills in a conference tournament.
Boles, a senior outside hitter, was voted as the 2013 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Player of the Year and earned AVCA Honorable Mention All-America honors while guiding Washington & lee to the ODAC championship. In addition, she earned AVCA All-South Region accolades, First Team All-ODAC recognition and Capital One Academic All-District honors. Boles led the Generals and the ODAC in kills this season with 415. She averaged 3.52 kills, 3.08 digs and 0.33 service aces. This season, Boles broke the W&L and ODAC career kills records and finished with 1,714 in four years.
Sutton, an outside hitter, was named the Capital Athletic Conference's Co-Player of the Year, becoming only the second freshman in CAC history to earn that honor. Sutton also earned the conference's Rookie of the Year and Capital All-Conference First Team recognition while averaging 2.56 kills per set.
Birch was voted as the Capital Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in the Captains' first year in the league. She guided CNU to the CAC regular season and tournament championships, as well as their seventh straight NCAA Tournament appearance, where they advanced to the second round of the NCAAs for the fifth consecutive year.
In addition to Boles, Sparks and Sutton, the VaSID All-State First Team was rounded out by Bridgewater College's Megann Grimes, CNU's Chastity Lacy and Washington & Lee's Meghan Meleski.
The Virginia Sports Information Directors name 27 all-state teams in 15 sports each year, as well as an academic all-state squad and an all-sports champion in both the university and college divisions. Membership in VaSID is open to all media relations professionals working at a university or conference in the state of Virginia.
2013 VaSID College Division All-State Volleyball Team
Co-Player of the Year – M.A. Boles, Sr., Washington & Lee
Co-Player of the Year – Allison Sparks, Sr., Averett
Rookie of the Year – Briana Sutton, Fr., Christopher Newport
Coach of the Year - Lindsay Birch, Christopher Newport
First Team
H - M.A. Boles, Sr., Washington and Lee
H - Megann Grimes, Jr., Bridgewater
H – Chastity Lacy, Sr., Christopher Newport
S – Meghan Meleski, Sr., Washington & Lee
H – Allison Sparks, Sr., Averett
H – Briana Sutton, Fr., Christopher Newport
Second Team
S – Rachel Conway, So., Christopher Newport
L – Marli Dabareiner, Sr., Randolph-Macon
H – Courtney Lowers, So., Randolph-Macon
H – Tori Puryear, Sr., Randolph-Macon
H – Nicole Tesh, Sr., Emory & Henry
H – Kaitlynn Wickersham, Sr., Mary Washington