Volleyball 11/15/2019 7:45:00 PM

Salak from OCU collects SAC MVP, setter of year

Stars grab conference defensive player of year, coach of year

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University's Sophia Salak became the Sooner Athletic Conference volleyball most valuable player and setter of the year.
Oklahoma City, the SAC regular-season champion, also garnered the defensive player of the year (Isabel Harwell) and coach of the year (Kristen Coventon). Six Stars made the all-SAC team.
Four from OCU collected first-team all-conference accolades – Salak, Harwell, Lacy Beeler and Marijana Bjelobrk. The Stars' Ella Lofton took second-team acclaim, and Catelyn Vargas nabbed an honorable-mention nod. Bjelobrk became OCU's first four-time first-team all-conference selection.
Salak, a sophomore from McKinney, Texas, tops the SAC with 10.93 assists and 0.56 aces per set as well as 1,189 assists and 59 aces entering Friday's SAC Tournament semifinals. She ranks seventh among the NAIA in average assists and ninth in total aces. Salak also provides OCU with 2.25 digs and 0.36 blocks a set. Salak has notched 12 40-assist performances, five 45-assist contests and seven SAC setter of the week honors this year.
Harwell, a sophomore libero from Edmond, Okla., rates No. 1 in the conference with 4.98 digs a set and 528 digs. She ranks fifth in the SAC with 0.45 aces per set. She boasts of a .937 service percentage and .971 reception percentage. Harwell nabbed five SAC defender of the week awards in 2019.
Coventon has guided Oklahoma City to a 32-1 mark and a 20-0 record in SAC play this season for the league's 12th undefeated record in conference history. Coventon led the Stars to their fourth consecutive SAC regular-season championship, fifth 30-win season ever and to 31 matches in a row. OCU made its first appearance in the national rankings in three years and climbed to 18th in the NAIA top 25. The Stars are one of five teams in the NAIA with 30 victories this season.
Beeler, a junior from Jenks, Okla., snagged her second all-conference honor. Beeler has turned in 3.55 kills, 3.48 digs, 0.49 aces and 0.42 blocks a set. Beeler appears in the SAC's top five in aces, aces per set, kills and kills a set. She took two SAC attacker of the week nods in 2019.
Bjelobrk, a senior from Belgrade, Serbia, joined Meghan Irwin as the Stars' only four-time all-SAC performers. Bjelobrk has supplied OCU with 3.14 kills, 2.33 digs, 0.65 blocks and 0.43 aces per set. She ranks among the top five in the conference in hitting percentage, aces and kills. Bjelobrk was SAC attacker of the week for Sept. 16-22.
Lofton, a junior from Cedar Park, Texas, has posted 2.84 kills and 0.29 blocks per set. Lofton had a season-high 14 kills against St. Francis (Ind.) on Oct. 12 in Des Moines, Iowa. She reeled in her second all-conference award.
Vargas, a redshirt freshman from Lubbock, Texas, averages 1.90 kills and a team-high 0.82 blocks a set.

2019 All-Sooner Athletic Conference Volleyball
Most valuable player: Sophia Salak, Oklahoma City
Setter of the year: Sophia Salak, Oklahoma City
Hitter of the year: Jessica Schultz, John Brown
Defensive player of the year: Isabel Harwell, Oklahoma
Newcomer of the year: Hanna Foecker, Mid-America Christian
Freshman of the year: Arianna Alvarado, Texas Wesleyan
Coach of the year: Kristen Coventon, Oklahoma City
FIRST TEAM
Pos.	Name	School	Cl.	Hometown
S	Sophia Salak	Oklahoma City	So.	McKinney, Texas
MB	Jessica Schultz	John Brown	Sr.	Windsor, Colo.
MB	Chastiny Brown	Texas Wesleyan	Sr.	Houston
OH	Alexis Mealer	SW Assemblies of God	So.	Arlington, Texas
S	Sophia Ivy	SW Assemblies of God	Sr.	Round Rock, Texas
RSH	Marijana Bjelobrk	Oklahoma City	Sr.	Belgrade, Serbia
S	Brenda Pargas	Texas Wesleyan	Sr.	El Paso, Texas
Libero	Isabel Harwell	Oklahoma City	So.	Edmond, Okla.
OH	Lacy Beeler	Oklahoma City	Jr.	Jenks, Okla.
OH	Cashlyn Munroe	SW Christian	Sr.	Douglass, Kan.
OH	Arianna Alvarado	Texas Wesleyan	Fr.	San Antonio
MB	Kellie Kozak	Wayland Baptist	Jr.	Ituna, Saskatchewan, Canada
SECOND TEAM
Libero	Jordan Breding	Wayland Baptist	Sr.	Albuquerque, N.M.
S	Carrie Ciesla	John Brown	So.	Greenwood, Ark.
OH	Ava Myers	SW Assemblies of God	Fr.	Round Top, Texas
OH	Hanna Foecker	Mid-America Christian	Jr.	Sudlohn, Germany
Libero	Madison Lopez	Texas Wesleyan	Sr.	Aledo, Texas
Libero	Maegan Plunk	Mid-America Christian	Jr.	Rowlett, Texas
Libero	Nikki Almaguer	SW Assemblies of God	Jr.	Waxahachie, Texas
MB	Veronika Webb	Texas Wesleyan	Jr.	Arlington, Texas
MB	Kendra Butler	Panhandle State	Sr.	Conroe, Texas
RSH	Emma Tomkins	SW Assemblies of God	Fr.	Waller, Texas
OH	Ella Lofton	Oklahoma City	Jr.	Cedar Park, Texas
OH	Carly McKinney	John Brown	Sr.	Mission Viejo, Calif.
S	Darian Parsons	SW Christian	Sr.	Jenks, Okla.

HONORABLE MENTION
Kinzee Mayo, RSH, John Brown; Jaden Williams, MB, John Brown; Amber Daniel, OH, Wayland Baptist; Brianna Sitton, DS, Texas Wesleyan; Alexa Bass, S, Mid-America Christian; Antonese Tatum, MB, Langston; Hannah Murray, OH, Panhandle State; Kiarrah Carlisle, S, Central Christian; Hayley Allen, S, USAO; Catelyn Vargas, MB, Oklahoma City; Tatijana Markic, OH, Wayland Baptist.

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Players Mentioned

#11 Marijana Bjelobrk: RSH; 6' 1"; Senior

#2 Lacy Beeler: OH; 6' 0"; Senior

#5 Isabel Harwell: DS/Libero; 5' 5"; Junior

#4 Ella Lofton: OH; 5' 8"; Senior

#10 Sophia Salak: S; 5' 10"; Junior

#22 Catelyn Vargas: OH; 5' 10"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#11 Marijana Bjelobrk
: 6' 1"; Senior
: RSH

#2 Lacy Beeler
: 6' 0"; Senior
: OH

#5 Isabel Harwell
: 5' 5"; Junior
: DS/Libero

#4 Ella Lofton
: 5' 8"; Senior
: OH

#10 Sophia Salak
: 5' 10"; Junior
: S

#22 Catelyn Vargas
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: OH