Nov. 15, 2006

IRVING, Texas -- Conference USA announced its 2006 all-conference first and second teams and postseason award winners for volleyball today, as selected by the conference's head coaches. The awards are announced one day before the start of the 12th Annual C-USA Volleyball Championship, which is scheduled for Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 16-19, at Hofheinz Pavilion on the campus of the University of Houston.

Tulsa earned the regular season title with a 26-6 record and a 13-3 mark in confrence play. The regular season title was the first in program history and the Golden Hurricane finished league play undefeated at home for the second consecutive year. Kelly-Anne Billingy was named C-USA Player of the Year and leads the NCAA in kills per game at 6.53 overall and is registering a 6.69 per game clip in conference matches. Billingy also earned a spot on the All-Conference USA first team. This is Billingy's second consecutive Player of the Year honor.

For the second year in a row, Tulane has produced the C-USA Freshman of the Year as outside hitter Ksenija Vlaskovic takes the 2006 honor. Vlaskovic averaged 3.72 kills per game for the Green Wave as they posted 11 of their 15 wins in conference play. She was also named to the all-conference second team.

UAB junior Fernanda Domingos was named the C-USA Newcomer of the Year. Domingos was second on the Blazers squad averaging 3.11 kills per game and also chipped in with 1.57 digs per game.

Julia Silva from league champion Tulsa claimed C-USA Setter of the Year honors after averaging 11.84 assists and 3.24 digs per game. The junior from Brazil led the league with three triple-doubles on the season and tied for fourth with 18 double-doubles. Silva also was recognized as a first team All-C-USA pick.

Memphis senior Christen Clayton, a C-USA Defensive Player of the Week on two occasions in 2006, was voted C-USA Libero of the Year. Clayton led the Tigers and was third in C-USA with a 4.97 digs per game average and was also named to the All-Conference second team.

Tulsa head coach Ed Allen was named C-USA Coach of the Year after leading the Golden Hurricane to the their first regular season volleyball crown in school history.

East Carolina, Memphis and Tulsa all had two first-team selections. The Pirates were represented by Kelley Wernert and Mignon Dubenion. Dubenion is one of only three C-USA players to be in the top 10 in the league in both hitting percentage and blocks. Laura Cote and Shelby Burton were both selected to the first team from Memphis. Burton joins Dubenion on the three-person list of players to rank in the top 10 in both hitting percentage and blocks. Heidi Krug of East Carolina joined teammates Wernert and Dubenion on the all-conference squad, earning second-team honors.

2006 C-USA VOLLEYBALL AWARDS
Player of the Year
Kelly-Anne Billingy, Marshall

Newcomer of the Year
Fernanda Domingos, UAB

Setter of the Year
Julia Silva, Tulsa

Freshman of the Year
Ksenija Vlaskovic, Tulane

Libero of the Year
Christen Clayton, Memphis

Coach of the Year
Ed Allen, Tulsa

All-Conference First Team
Kelley Wernert, Jr., OH, East Carolina
Mignon Dubenion, Jr., MB, East Carolina
Justine Farmer, So., OH, Houston
Kelly-Anne Billingy, Jr., OH, Marshall
Shelby Burton, Jr., MB, Memphis
Laura Cote, So., S, Memphis
Rachel Giubilato, Jr., OH, SMU
Sara Radosevic, So., OH, Tulane
Julia Silva, Jr., S, Tulsa
Kassiana Urnau, Jr., OH, Tulsa
Ivana Bozic, So., OH, UAB

All-Conference Second Team
Heidi Krug, Sr., S, East Carolina
Stephanie Cahill, Jr., OH, Marshall
Maggie Arias, Jr., L/OH, Marshall
Uche Ndubisi, Jr., MB, Marshall
Christen Clayton, Sr., L, Memphis
Tessa Kuykendall, Sr., MB, Rice
Jen Linder, So., MB, Tulane
Jenn Miller, Fr., L, Tulane
Ksenija Vlaskovic, Fr., OH, Tulane
Germana Hilario, Sr., OH, Tulsa
Fabiola Nepomuceno, Jr., MB, Tulsa

All-Freshman Team
Erin Rice, MB, Houston
Natalie Bogan, MB, Rice
Kendra Kahanek, MB, SMU
Angela Hlavaty, OH, Southern Miss
Jenn Miller, L, Tulane
Ksenija Vlaskovic, OH, Tulane