Hurst, Dickson Claim All-Conference USA Volleyball Honors
Nov 21, 2002 | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 21, 2002
CHICAGO, Ill. - Senior outside hitter Britney Hurst and freshman setter Kelli Dickson each earned a spot on the 2002 All-Conference USA team on a vote by league coaches, the C-USA office announced today during the conference tournament banquet.
Hurst was named to the league's second-team for the second consecutive year while Dickson was named to the all-freshman team. The honors come on the eve of the 2002 Healthy Choice Conference USA Tournament where the fifth-seeded Green Wave will take on 12 seed Marquette at 8 p.m. on Friday.
"It's a honor for her to make the second team, but it's a bit disappointing because we feel she is one of the top six player in Conference USA," head coach Betsy Becker said. "Her statistics speak for themselves and she should be rewarded for that. Individual honors are second to team honors, though, and we can use that as motivation for the tournament.
"I'm really glad for Kelli to make the all-freshman team. She's the type of player that comes early and stays late every day in the gym and she's had an outstanding freshman year. She's orchestrated our offense and has led us to one of our best seasons in over a decade. Her relentless pursuit and competitive desire makes her who she is."
The honors marked the fourth straight year the Green Wave placed a member on the first or second team, and it is also the third consecutive season Tulane has a player named to the all-rookie squad.
Hurst comes into the tournament leading the team while ranking second in the league and seventh in the NCAA with 5.46 kills per game while adding a team-best 3.67 digs per game to go along with 0.50 blocks and 0.26 aces per game. Along the way, she set the Tulane single-season kills and digs records with marks of 672 and 452, respectively. She also set the Tulane single-match kills record with 37 against Bowling Green and the Green Wave three-game match kills record with 30 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette.
All told, Hurst has set five school records in 2002, posted five of the Top 10 single-match kills totals, tied for No. 3 in single-match service aces with six vs. Saint Louis, and posted the third-most digs in single-match history. She is currently one kill away from the No. 2 spot on the career list, 40 attacks away from No. 3 on the total attacks list and 29 digs away from the No. 7 spot on that list.
Dickson, meanwhile, has been a bit of a surprise in 2002. Signed as an all-around athlete who was supposed to be groomed into a backup setter spot and play back-row defense, Dickson saw action much sooner than expected when starting setter Katie Case went down with an injury early in the year.
Learning on the job, and in hours of practice, Dickson has averaged 10.56 assists per game while chipping in with 61 kills, 244 digs, 27 aces and 25 blocks. As a starter, Dickson has been even better, averaging 11.90 assists and 2.09 digs per game to go with 52 kills and 24 blocks. Her 1,310 assists in 2002 ranks sixth in the Tulane single-season record book and seventh on the school career chart.
