Volleyball's Sarah Ray Named Louisiana Freshman Of The Year

Dec. 22, 2014

NEW ORLEANS - Tulane University volleyball standout Sarah Ray was tabbed Louisiana Freshman of the year and sophomore Tea Juric claimed second-team All-Louisiana honors, the Louisiana Sports Writers Association announced over the weekend based on a vote of media relations contacts from around the state.

The native of Nashville, Tenn., and 2014 graduate of Hume Fogg High School became the eighth Green Wave rookie to claim state Freshman of the Year recognition, joining Juric last season, Visnja Djurdjevic in 2008, Sara Radosevic in 2005, Kelli Dickson in 2002, Anastasia Kenon in 2001, Alicia Robertson in 1991 and Shelly Richey in 1990. Juric, meanwhile, earned all-state recognition for the second consecutive season after garnering first-team honors in addition to her co-Freshman of the Year title in 2013.

"These are very deserving honors for Sarah and Tea," Tulane head coach Sinisa Momic said. "Although we didn't have the type of season that we had hoped for, it's important for their talent to be recognized. Having a freshman in Sarah and a sophomore in Tea being recognized is good for the program. Next year, when we're more stable as a team, their talent is going to shine even more."

In her first collegiate season, Ray led the Green Wave with 344 kills, 402.5 points and 25 service aces while sitting second on the squad with 2.99 kills per set, 3.50 points per set and 290 digs, third with 65 total blocks (2 solo, 63 assists), and fourth with 2.52 digs per set.

Splitting time between outside hitter and right-side hitter, Ray had 17 double-digit kill outings, 11 double-digit dig matches and nine kill/dig double-doubles. She tallied a season-best 19 kills vs East Carolina on Oct. 3 and again vs USF on Nov. 23, and posted a season-high 18 digs at Houston on Nov. 5. Ray logged 19 multiple-block contests, including a season-high seven vs Howard on Sept. 12, and added five multiple-ace outings, including a season-best four at Cincinnati on Nov. 14.

"Sarah was in a difficult position as a freshman and had to carry a big load, but she responded very well," Momic said. "In the long run, that's going to be good for her because I think she learned a lot. She'a s big player who played front and back row for us, she was able to attack from the front and back row, and she obviously can improve a lot. This was a good starting point for her college career. It's obvious to us as coaches that she's barely scratched the surface of her talent and we expect good things from her in the future."

Juric, meanwhile, paced Tulane with 3.27 kills per set, 3.65 points per set and 303 digs while finishing second with 343 kills and 383.0 points, third with 2.89 digs per set, fourth with 12 service aces and fifth with 51 total blocks (5 solo, 45 assists). Despite missing time early in the season and being slowed by an ankle injury throughout the 2014 campaign, the 6-2 native of Kastel Stari, Croatia, had 19 double-digit kills outings, 14 double-digit dig matches and eight kill/dig double-doubles. Juric surpassed the 20-kill plateau three times, including a season-best 23 at SMU on Oct. 12.

She tallied a career-high 28 digs at Houston on Nov. 5 and posted 22 kills to go with 21 digs vs UCF on Nov. 21. Juric tallied 11 multiple-block outings, including a season-best six on three occasions, and logged a season-high three aces vs Coppin State on Sept. 20.

"In the first part of the season, Tea struggled with injury but later on showed her talent and what she could do," Momic added. "Volleyball is a team sport and when certain parts are missing, you're not going to get as much exposure for your best players as you would like. We were able to use her strengths last year, when the team functioned better together, and we'll be able to get to that level again. That's when you'll really see what kind of talent Tea really is."

Ray and Juric are two of 10 letterwinners the Green Wave are expected to return from this past season for 2015 and those veteran student-athletes helped account for 83.9 percent of the team's kills (1,069 of 1,273), 83.5 percent of the assists (1,162 of 1,392), 80.3 percent of the digs (1,331 of 1,658), 76.9 percent of the blocks (191.0 of 248.5) and 69.5 percent of the service aces (73 of 105) from the recently-concluded campaign.

In addition, and Tulane will welcome the talents of incoming freshmen Aubrey Folk, Dayna Kern, Liz Hurring and Lisa Mordell - who inked National Letters of Intent with the Green Wave during the NCAA Early Signing Period in November.

2014 LSWA ALL-LOUISIANA COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL TEAM

First-Team All-LouisianaChinedu Echebelem     Xavier                OH   Sr.   Dallas, TexasKaci Eaton            Nicholls State        OH   So.   Austin, TexasKalynnn Egea          Nicholls State        L    Sr.   Peoria, Ariz.Andrea Hole           Louisiana-Lafayette   S    Sr.   Oslo, NorwayBriana Holman         LSU                   MB   So.   Desoto, TexasCati Leak             LSU                   OH   Jr.   Guntersville, Ala.Mackenzie Neely       Northwestern State    RS   Sr.   Dripping Springs, Texas
Second-Team All-LouisianaEva Allen             Loyola                OH   Jr.   Oakland, Calif.Marcela Araya         ULM                   L    Sr.   San Jose, Costa RicaRachel Cagnina        McNeese State         OH   Sr.   Carol Stream, Ill.Stacey Difrancesco*   Northwestern State    OH   Sr.   The Woodlands, TexasGlynna Johnson*       Northwestern State    MB   Jr.   Gatesville, TexasTea Juric             Tulane              OH/RS  So.   Kastel Stari, CroatiaMalorie Pardo         LSU                   S    Sr.   League City, TexasRebecca Redgen        Louisiana Tech        OH   Sr.   Gladstone, Australia* Tied for position
Louisiana Player of The Year - Andrea Hole, Louisiana-LafayetteLouisiana Libero of the Year - Kalynn Egea, Nicholls StateLouisiana Freshman of the Year - Sarah Ray, TulaneLouisiana Newcomer of the Year - Kaci Eaton, Nicholls StateLouisiana Coach of the Year - Hugh & Stephanie Hernesman, Northwestern State

Volleyball's Sarah Ray Named Louisiana Freshman Of The Year

Players Mentioned

Tea Juric

Tea Juric

Sarah Ray

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Tulane University Athletics

Volleyball's Sarah Ray Named Louisiana Freshman Of The Year

Players Mentioned

Tea Juric

Tea Juric

Sarah Ray

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