COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M setter Stephanie Aiple has been named the AVCA South Region Freshman of the Year, and she is joined on the AVCA All-South Region Team by Aggie middle blockers Jazzmin Babers and Shelby Sullivan. In addition, Aggie freshman opposite hitter Ashlie Reasor was named honorable mention all-region, the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced today.
Aiple (pronounced EYE-plee) is the first A&M player to be named freshman region player of the year since former two-time All-American Laura Jones became the school’s first honoree in 2002. Babers (pronounced BAY-bers) and Sullivan are making their first appearance on the all-region team after being named honorable mention in 2013.
Aiple orchestrated a balanced attack in which the Aggies hit .263 for the full season, ranking 22nd in the nation. It marked the Aggies’ fifth highest season hitting percentage in the 40-year history of the program and the best team hitting efficiency since the Aggies hit .272 in 2007.
Aiple, who earlier this season became the first A&M player to be named ESPNW National Player of the Week after leading the Aggies to victories over both No. 6 Southern California and No. 13 San Diego, was a member of the 2014 SEC All-Freshman Team and was a three-time SEC Freshman Player of the Week honoree. The Round Rock, Texas, native led the SEC freshmen setters and ranked fifth overall in the conference with 10.76 assists per set for the full season. Aiple also led all rookie setters in the SEC and ranked sixth overall in conference matches only with 10.86 assists per set. Aiple, who led A&M with eight double-double performances, dished out 48 assists against No. 13 Kentucky on Oct. 5, an A&M record for a three-set SEC match and the most assists by an SEC player in a three-set match in 2014.
Babers and Sullivan, both members of the 2014 All-SEC Team, quickly established themselves as Aiple’s go-to playmakers in the front row and became one of the most formidable middle blocking duos in the country. Babers, a redshirt sophomore from Bowling Green, Ohio, hit .400 for the season, ranking 18th in the nation and tying the all-time school record first set by former Aggie All-American Sheri Brinkman in 1984. Babers finished the season with 2.63 kills per set after posting double-digit kills in 12 of the last 14 matches of the season.
Babers, who has started every match of her career, is fourth in the SEC with 1.20 blocks per set for the full season. Earlier this year, she set a school record with 13 block assists against UTSA (Aug. 30). Her 14 total blocks against the Roadrunners ties for second in the A&M single-match record books and ties for the most by an SEC player this season.
Sullivan, a junior from Richardson, Texas, hit .374 and led the Aggies with 2.84 kills and 3.57 points per set for the full season. The team captain was second on the team with 1.01 blocks per set. Sullivan tallied double figures in kills in a team-high 19 matches, taking team-high honors in kills in a team-best 11 matches. She also led A&M in points in a team-high 12 matches.
In A&M’s SEC season opener against Auburn, the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year hit a career-high .826, setting an A&M SEC record and a Reed Arena record for hitting percentage when making 10 or more attack attempts. Sullivan also broke A&M records for kills (20) and points (25.0) in a three-set SEC match in the sweep against the Tigers. Her .826 hitting percentage is the highest by an SEC player this year when having a minimum of 12 kills, and her 25 points are the most by an SEC player in a three-set match this season.
Reasor, a lefty from San Antonio, played in every match this season at the opposite hitter position and joined Aiple on the SEC All-Freshman Team. She averaged 2.19 kills and 2.59 points per set for the full season while hitting .254. Reasor, who posted double-figure kills in 12 matches, tallied a career-high 15 kills in the 3-1 victory over No. 16 Kentucky.
Texas A&M (21-9, 13-5 SEC) finished tied for fourth in the SEC and reached the 20-win milestone for the third time in four years and for the 15th time in Laurie Corbelli’s 22-year tenure as head coach of the Aggies. In addition, A&M advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year and for the 18th time under Corbelli, making A&M one of only 14 teams in the nation that has made at least 18 NCAA tournament appearances since she was hired in 1993.
Fourteen players from 36 teams representing six conferences – Atlantic Sun, Big South, Conference USA, Mid-Eastern Athletic, SEC and Southland – were selected to the All-South Region Team and another five players received honorable mention. Aiple beat out four other freshmen on the all-region team for region freshman of the year honors.
All-region members will now be considered for AVCA All-America honors. The 14-member first, second and third teams, along with honorable mention will be announced December 17.