Road conference dominance naturally would leave open the great possibility for some award recognition for the following week.
And, that’s exactly what the Alabama State University women’s volleyball team reeled in.
On Tuesday, the Southwestern Athletic Conference announced that it had selected two more Lady Hornets’ volleyball players for the weekly SWAC Athlete of the Week honors for their play for the week of October 6-12.
Juniors Myla Marshall and Rachel Smith were dubbed the SWAC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week.
Marshall compiled 31 kills against just four errors on 48 total attacks for an astounding .562 hitting percentage. The middle hitter also picked up 11 blocks and 11 digs in three SWAC road victory sweeps against Jackson State, Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State from last Thursday through Saturday.
Smith exuded versatility by playing all over the court to total 21 digs, four blocks and six service aces to go along with 19 kills for good measure.
ASU (8-15 overall, 4-0 SWAC) has now won four consecutive matches – all in the SWAC – and went a perfect 9-0 in sets during their three-match road swing to conference opponents in the state of Mississippi.
For Marshall, it is her second weekly award from the SWAC this season and fourth career Offensive AOTW award. She last won the Offensive AOTW award on September 9 of this year.
Smith was a three-time Offensive AOTW in 2013, but this is the first time that she’s won the Defensive AOTW award.
“They totally deserved it,” said ASU coach Penny Lucas-White. “That’s the Myla I know—one who can dominate the match for us. We are excited for what Rachel can begin to do for us in the front court. These are two well-deserved accolades for both of these young ladies.”
SWAC Committed to APR Success, Academic Excellence
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Over 1,100 Southwestern Athletic Conference student-athletes truly defined what it is to be a student and collegiate athlete last year. The group maintained over a 3.0 GPA while competing in their respective sports and were named to the SWAC All-Academic Team for their accomplishments in the classroom.
Four of the leagues’ member institutions had over 120 student-athletes represented on the list. Jackson State University led the group with 173, followed closely by Alabama State University (158), Mississippi Valley State University (135) and Prairie View A&M University (126).
Despite previous difficulties with academic progress rates, Jackson State has been steadily improving over the past four years in football and made great strides in men’s basketball. And the Tigers’ success came in spite of the national numbers.
A study released by the NCAA late last year stated only 61 percent of African American male student-athletes who entered college in 2005 successfully graduated within six years, a stark comparison to the 81 percent of white student-athletes who graduated in the same time. And while the graduation success rates have increased across the board, a disparaging gap remains.
The Division I Board of Directors recognized the unique struggles of limited resource institutions and amended the benchmarks for APR compliance. The SWAC has since stepped in to help members meet the new requirements.
Included in the league’s initiatives was an APR Task Force that was created in August of 2012. It consists of 12 members from athletic directors, senior woman administrators, compliance officers, faculty athletic representatives, and academic advisors. GradesFirst, a web-based student performance monitoring software system, was also provided to all 10 SWAC institutions. The application allows for academic advisors, administrators, and faculty to communicate and provide student services.
In coordination with the NCAA, the SWAC also distributes information about grants and programs available to help bring institutions into compliance. The NCAA’s new policies mandate that programs carry over a 930 APR rating in order to be eligible for NCAA championships by 2015-16. Jackson State is one of the SWAC institutions who have excelled across the board. They have an institutional average APR rating of 960 with the second highest football and men’s basketball ratings in the league.
The All-Academic Team is representative of the SWAC’s progress, with the increases in training and focus shift towards the academic success of its student-athletes.
The SWAC Welcomes Four New Staff Members
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Southwestern Athletic Conference Commissioner Duer Sharp has announced the hire of four new staff members to the league’s office in Birmingham, Ala. Greg Turner, Latasha Lewis, Jasmine Quinn, and Jared Williams join the SWAC as it continues its 94th year of intercollegiate athletic advancement.
“We are excited to have a group of individuals from such diverse backgrounds join our team,” said Sharp. “There is a wealth of experience between them that we are happy to welcome to the Southwestern Athletic Conference.”
Turner joins the SWAC as the sports management administrator. With 20 years of experience in the sports industry, he has worked for two of the most prominent names in professional and amateur sports. At the NCAA, he spent seven years administering a national basketball mentoring program for some of the nation’s most elite high school prospects. Turner also worked three years for iHoops, a joint venture and the official youth basketball organization created by the NBA and NCAA. Turner’s background also includes an eight year stint at the Ohio Valley Conference. His diverse career has afforded him the opportunity to become a television sports personality as he worked as a basketball analyst for the OVC, Missouri Valley Conference and Southeastern Conference telecasts on Fox Sports. Turner earned a Master’s Degree from Fairfield University and Bachelor’s Degree from Auburn University. He is also a graduate of the NCAA’s Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minorities inaugural class.
Lewis arrives at the SWAC as a communications intern. A University of Alabama graduate, Lewis joins the conference with four years of communications involvement. Her intercollegiate experience stems from her background as an athletic communications student assistant at The University of Alabama. She spent one year with the Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports Commission where she worked among many professional athletes including heavy weight boxer, Deontay Wilder. Lewis was awarded two Certificates of Merit, one Award of Excellence and one Medallion Award from the Public Relations Council of Alabama for her communications work throughout her sports career.
Quinn also enters the SWAC as a communications intern. Her background as a student-athlete in the SWAC strengthened her passion for the organization, aiding in her decision to accept the position. Quinn played four years of Alabama State University basketball, gaining the Most Coachable Player award her senior year. She earned her Master’s from the University of Southern Mississippi where she worked as a Sport Technology graduate assistant and also gained media relations experience at WSFA 12 News and WVAS Radio Station where she played a large role in sports broadcasting and filming.
With experience from the Western Athletic Conference, Williams joins the SWAC as compliance coordinator. He has a total of six years involvement within the sports field and began his career at the American Junior Golf Association. From there, he gained opportunities with the PGA TOUR TPC Sawgrass, the Houston Astros and the Ladies Professional Golf Association. Williams was named the Most Outstanding Intern in 2009 during his time with the PGA Tour TPC Sawgrass. He is a graduate of Hampton University and earned his Juris Doctorate at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law.
