Ashlyn Lovett (left) and Baylor Bumford (right) earned Sun Belt accolades.
Bumford, Lovett Earn Sun Belt Honors
11/17/2021 3:00:00 PM | Volleyball
The Eagles open Sun Belt Tournament play against ULM Thursday at 1 p.m. ET.
FOLEY, Ala. – Georgia Southern senior Baylor Bumford was named first-team All-Sun Belt, and rookie Ashlyn Lovett was named the conference's Freshman of the Year, the league announced today.
Bumford ranks second in the Sun Belt in hitting percentage (.368) and posted a mark of .372 in conference matches, which also ranked second. She averaged 2.44 kills and 0.78 blocks in league matches and reached double figures in kills in nine contests this season, including a career-high 19 vs. Georgia State Oct. 9. Her 13 solo blocks in conference play were tied for the sixth most in the Sun Belt, and she has posted four-plus blocks in 15 contests this season. Bumford is the first Eagle to earn first-team All-Sun Belt honors since Lauren Reichard in 2017.
Lovett becomes the first player in school history to be named the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year. The two-time Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week selection ranked fourth in the league in digs – first among freshmen - in conference matches with 4.72 per set. Lovett totaled double-figure digs in 15 of 16 league contests and 20 matches overall and has posted 20-plus digs seven times this season. Lovett had just seven reception errors in 254 attempts in conference play and also averaged 0.64 and 0.20 aces per set.
The Eagles take on ULM in the first round of the Sun Belt Tournament Thursday at 1 p.m. ET in the Foley Sports Complex in Foley, Alabama. The winner of the match advances to the quarterfinals to face UTA Friday at 1 p.m. ET.
Player of the Year: Emily DeWalt, Texas State
Offensive Player of the Year: Janell Fitzgerald, Texas State
Defensive Player of the Year: Meisheia Griffin, Georgia State
Libero of the Year: Tatum Ticknor, Arkansas State
Setter of the Year: Emily DeWalt, Texas State
Newcomer of the Year: Cheyenne Jones, Coastal Carolina
Freshman of the Year: Ashlyn Lovett, Georgia Southern
Coach of the Year: Jesse Ortiz, South Alabama
First-Team All-Conference
Macey Putt, Arkansas State
Tatum Ticknor, Arkansas State
Laura Jansen, Little Rock
Ani Bozdeva, Coastal Carolina
Baylor Bumford, Georgia Southern
Meisheia Griffin, Georgia State
Kelsey Bennett, Louisiana
Kailey Keeble, South Alabama
Briana Brown, UTA
Emily DeWalt, Texas State
Janell Fitzgerald, Texas State
Julia Brooks, Troy
Second-Team All-Conference
Emma Reilly, App State
Doris Carter, Coastal Carolina
Cheyenne Jones, Coastal Carolina
Brigitta Petrenko, Coastal Carolina
Coco Gillett, Louisiana
Hannah Maddux, South Alabama
Maddie Soboleski, South Alabama
Kennedy Wallace, South Alabama
Alli Wells, UTA
Jada Gardner, Texas State
Tyeranee Scott, Texas State
Amara Anderson, Troy
Bumford ranks second in the Sun Belt in hitting percentage (.368) and posted a mark of .372 in conference matches, which also ranked second. She averaged 2.44 kills and 0.78 blocks in league matches and reached double figures in kills in nine contests this season, including a career-high 19 vs. Georgia State Oct. 9. Her 13 solo blocks in conference play were tied for the sixth most in the Sun Belt, and she has posted four-plus blocks in 15 contests this season. Bumford is the first Eagle to earn first-team All-Sun Belt honors since Lauren Reichard in 2017.
Lovett becomes the first player in school history to be named the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year. The two-time Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week selection ranked fourth in the league in digs – first among freshmen - in conference matches with 4.72 per set. Lovett totaled double-figure digs in 15 of 16 league contests and 20 matches overall and has posted 20-plus digs seven times this season. Lovett had just seven reception errors in 254 attempts in conference play and also averaged 0.64 and 0.20 aces per set.
The Eagles take on ULM in the first round of the Sun Belt Tournament Thursday at 1 p.m. ET in the Foley Sports Complex in Foley, Alabama. The winner of the match advances to the quarterfinals to face UTA Friday at 1 p.m. ET.
Player of the Year: Emily DeWalt, Texas State
Offensive Player of the Year: Janell Fitzgerald, Texas State
Defensive Player of the Year: Meisheia Griffin, Georgia State
Libero of the Year: Tatum Ticknor, Arkansas State
Setter of the Year: Emily DeWalt, Texas State
Newcomer of the Year: Cheyenne Jones, Coastal Carolina
Freshman of the Year: Ashlyn Lovett, Georgia Southern
Coach of the Year: Jesse Ortiz, South Alabama
First-Team All-Conference
Macey Putt, Arkansas State
Tatum Ticknor, Arkansas State
Laura Jansen, Little Rock
Ani Bozdeva, Coastal Carolina
Baylor Bumford, Georgia Southern
Meisheia Griffin, Georgia State
Kelsey Bennett, Louisiana
Kailey Keeble, South Alabama
Briana Brown, UTA
Emily DeWalt, Texas State
Janell Fitzgerald, Texas State
Julia Brooks, Troy
Second-Team All-Conference
Emma Reilly, App State
Doris Carter, Coastal Carolina
Cheyenne Jones, Coastal Carolina
Brigitta Petrenko, Coastal Carolina
Coco Gillett, Louisiana
Hannah Maddux, South Alabama
Maddie Soboleski, South Alabama
Kennedy Wallace, South Alabama
Alli Wells, UTA
Jada Gardner, Texas State
Tyeranee Scott, Texas State
Amara Anderson, Troy
Players Mentioned
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