Marshall University Athletics
Volleyball's Billingy Garners All-American Status
12/16/2004 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Volleyball's Billingy Garners All-American Status
12/16/2004
Billingy is the first Marshall volleyball player to be named All-American for her play on the court. Billingy put down a Marshall record 694 kills in 2004. |
LONG BEACH, Calif. ? Marshall University freshman volleyball standout Kelly-Anne Billingy added the most prestigious title to her long list of accomplishments this season. The title of All-American.
Billingy, the 6?3 outside hitter from Trincity, Trinidad was named honorable mention All-America by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. This is the 24th All-America team presented by the AVCA.
?This is a very exciting day for Herd volleyball,? Marshall head coach Mitch Jacobs said from the coaches convention in Long Beach. ?This is an incredible honor for Kelly and our program.?
The Mideast Region Freshman of the Year, Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year and All-Mideast Region selection is the first All-American in Marshall volleyball history and joins fellow MAC member Briana Adamovsky, Ohio?s senior setter on the honorable mention team.
Marshall has had two Academic All-Americans in Isabell Anderer (2002, 03) and Jackie Copeland (1985), but Billingy is the first to garner the awards for her stellar play on the floor.
?For the first time a player in our program has been named an All-American for her skills on the court and that?s a phenomenal achievement,? Jacobs said. ?She had an amazing year like our team and helped us excel to heights never reached before by Marshall volleyball and I?m glad that it?s being recognized by coaches from around the nation.?
Billingy?s All-America status adds to her accolades from the 2004 season where the Herd finished 22-11 and played for its second consecutive MAC title. On the year, Billingy was the first Marshall player to be recognized with a MAC specialty award as a First-Team All-MAC pick and the conference Freshman of the Year. Billingy was also named to the MAC All-Freshman team, she won three MAC East Division Player of the Week awards and was named to the MAC All-Tournament team. She was also named the Collegiate Volleyball Update National Player of the Week on Oct. 12.
The All-American broke several Marshall records this season including a shattering of the single season kills mark which was formerly 502 held by Alisha Bable from 1996. Her 694 kills were the third most in conference history and the third highest single season total in the nation. She was sixth in the nation in kills per game (5.64) and the only freshman in the top 25 in kills. The freshman also broke the former Marshall single match kills record of 30, three times while setting the new mark at 34. Her .318 hitting percentage is also the highest single season total in Marshall history. She led the team and conference in service aces with 65 and was third on the team in blocks. Out of the Herd's 2,439 total points, Billingy took care of 793.5 of them.
Billingy was one of eight freshmen up for National Freshman of the Year honors, but the award was taken home by Nebraska outside hitter Sarah Pavan.