By Cedric Collinge and Jay Barlett
Athletic Communications
Four Lady Rangers earned All-Great American Conference accolades, the league announced Wednesday at its annual GAC Championship banquet.
Seniors Karla Lopez and Clarissa Hinojo landed Second Team All-Conference selections, with midfielders Audrey Salas and Yazmin Gomez earning GAC Honorable Mention bids.
Salas, Lopez and Gomez each contributed offensively for the black-and-red throughout the season, combining for 59 of the team’s 168 shots over the course of 16 matches.
Gomez led the Rangers with three goals on the season in her third year at Northwestern.
“All three of her goals this season were to tie the game” said head coach James Ross. “Its good to see a player than can show that kind of resiliency when we’re trying to get back in a game.”
Salas, a native of Moreno Valley, California, scored twice for the Rangers and impressed in her first and only season in Alva.
“Audrey is one of the most technically skillful players I’ve coached. She was a captain and just as easily could have found her name on the first-team list” added Ross.
Hinojo was a vocal leader on the defensive side of the ball and was consistently in position to block shots.
She also added an assist early in the season and earned praise from coach Ross for her dependability.
“Claud was one of our captains this year and was a rock at the back of the defense, always a 90-minute player.” Hinojo played at least 90 minutes in 12 of her 14 games played in 2018.
Despite a slow in offensive production this year, Lopez still found ways to contribute to the teams success.
She scored one goal and was a fast, physical and technically sound player throughout the year.
Northwestern finished its season winning two out of three matches but found themselves one spot out of the post season tournament in fifth place in the conference.
Northwestern Oklahoma State University volleyball recognizes six individuals, as they earn post-season accolades to be All-Great American Conference award winners.
Northwestern’s senior, Brooklynn Hesson, redshirt-junior Kiauna Clark and freshman Dani Dagley all received All-GAC Honorable Mention. Junior Jennifer Eubanks, coming off a breakout sophomore season earned All-GAC second team in her third year as a Lady Ranger.
Just a year ago, Hesson received honorable mention as well as Newcomer of the year, as she closes out her senior season in the black-and-red with yet another All-GAC Honorable mention award. Hitting .234 percent, Hesson tallied a total of 284 kills averaging 2.87 kills per set, which sits her at second on the team in the attack category and just slipping out of the top 10 kills list in conference.
Clark who made her presence felt with her high flying attacks earning her first All-GAC honor in the black-and-red. While appearing in 109 sets (second most of the team), Clark earned 256 kills, averaging 2.35 kill per set. She sat at third on the team in blocks, totaling 50 blocks.
Dagley coming in as a freshman boasted her raw talent all season long as the Lady Rangers libero. Dagley was second on the team with 302 total digs, averaging 3.39 digs per set.
In her freshman year, Dagley set the bar for herself tallying 40 digs against Ouachita Baptist, making that a career high as a Lady Ranger.
Eubanks displayed her athleticism and dominance throughout the season, finishing seventh in the conference with a season hitting percentage .306 percent, not to mention her pulling in 246 kills. The Copperas Cove, Texas native sat at third on the team in points, racking 299.5 points. Eubanks led the team with 87 blocks, to go along with 20 solo blocks.
Lady Rangers were stellar on the court; however, 2 student-athletes received off-court recognition as well. Senior Cassidy Hackett was recognized as a GAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete for her work in the classroom. Hackett who will graduate with her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration in the spring of 2019 plans on pursuing a career in marketing upon graduation and hopes to coach volleyball in the future.
Sophomore setter Kaitlyn Robinson, received GAC Elite Scholar Athlete. Robinson will continue to diligently work towards her degree in Psychology through her next 2 years her and improve on her great career for the black-and-red.
The Lady Rangers ended their 2018 campaign in the GAC Tournament as they fell to No. 1 Harding in five sets.