University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Yamamoto Tabbed Top Libero and First Team, DeCambra Joins on All-SBC Team
11/14/2023 3:01:00 PM | Volleyball
Pair made Louisiana’s offense and defense click in strong push at regular season’s end
LAFAYETTE – Louisiana Volleyball's Mio Yamamoto was named Libero of the Year and she was joined by Cajuns setter Siena DeCambra on the 2023 All-Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Team, it was announced by the conference office on Tuesday (Nov. 14, 2023).
Yamamoto, the Sun Belt's leader in total digs in conference matches during her debut season, is the first Ragin' Cajun to claim Libero of the Year since the award was introduced in 2021 and Louisiana's first major award winner since 2019 (Hannah Ramirez, Newcomer of the Year).
The Chigasaki, Japan native was selected to the All-Sun Belt First Team, marking the highest honor for a libero in UL Volleyball history since the NCAA introduced the position in 2002. Yamamoto is just the second Cajuns libero to be named All-SBC, joining Sydney Davis from the 2017 season.
DeCambra earned a spot on the All-Sun Belt Second Team in her first season running Louisiana's 5-1 system, recording the first 1,000-assists season of her collegiate career and ranking Top 3 in the SBC in total assists and per set. The Maui, Hawaii product is the first UL setter honored since Avery Breaux in 2020.
Yamamoto and DeCambra's selection to the All-SBC Team increases the number of honorees in the Kristi Gray era to five – the first individuals from their respective positions.
It's the seventh consecutive season (2017-23) Louisiana placed at least one honoree on the All-Sun Belt Team – continuing the longest stretch as a member of the league. The total number of All-Sun Belt selections in program history grew to 33.
The 2023 All-Sun Belt postseason awards were voted on by the league's 14 head coaches.
The Ragin' Cajuns late-season surge, winning of six of the last seven matches, has been driven by the setter-libero combination of DeCambra and Yamamoto. DeCambra closed the regular season averaging 10-plus assists per set each of the final four conference series and hit 40-plus assists in five of the last seven outings. Yamamoto averaged four-plus digs per set the final seven consecutive SBC series, rising to five-plus per set twice in the final three weeks.
Yamamoto was the only player named SBC Defensive Player of the Week twice (Oct. 10, Oct. 31) and elevated her game in SBC play, recording 296 of regular season total 457 digs (65 percent). On three occasions she finished above 5.0 digs per set in a series including the matchup with SBC West Division champion Texas State (52 digs, 5.8 per set).
Her ascension to becoming the SBC's top libero took flight with an impressive October-long performance that included six 20-plus dig efforts out of the eight matches played in the month.
Yamamoto closed Sun Belt play with a string of 14 consecutive matches with double figures in digs, hitting the 20-dig mark seven times. Overall, she scooped double digits in digs 23 out of the season's 30 matches and has rounded up 450-plus in her Division I debut season after transferring in from New Mexico Military Institute.
DeCambra was one of only two setters in the Sun Belt to reach 1,100 assists, overall, in the regular season – notching exactly the amount and finishing only two assists off of the league lead. Her assists total is the highest by a Cajuns setter since 2017 (Jessica Bartczyszyn; 1,171).
In conference play, DeCambra passed out 40-plus assists eight times including a season-best 51 assists in a win over SBC West Division champion Texas State. Four times she hit the 40-assist mark in a four-set match in SBC action.
Decambra posted at least one double-double of assists and digs each of the final seven SBC series, totaling a team-leading seven double-doubles on the season. Her conference-only stat line also included 29 kills, 148 digs and 23 blocks and she directed UL's offense to 13.2 kills per set on a .215 hitting percentage over the 16-match SBC conference schedule.
The Cajuns duo heads to the SBC Tournament looking to make a run at program benchmarks. DeCambra sits 100 assists away from becoming the first Cajun with 1,200 assists since Andrea Hole in 2014, while Yamamoto aims for UL's first 500 digs season – and only the seventh occurrence in the rally scoring era (2001-present) – since 2018.
2023 Sun Belt Volleyball Awards
First-Team All-Sun Belt
Jasmine Rivest, Coastal Carolina
Jalyn Stout, Coastal Carolina
Reagan Barth, Georgia Southern
Sophie Davis, James Madison
Miëtte Veldman, James Madison
Mio Yamamoto, Louisiana
Myah Conway, Old Dominion
Kailey Keeble, South Alabama
Hannah Maddux, South Alabama
Samantha Wunsch, Texas State
Julia Brooks, Troy
Tori Hester, Troy
Second-Team All-Sun Belt
Maya Winterhoff, App State
Sydney Lewis, Coastal Carolina
Siena DeCambra, Louisiana
Essence Clerkley, Marshall
Niki Capizzi, South Alabama
Maddie Soboleski, South Alabama
Mia Wesley, Southern Miss
Jade Defraeye, Texas State
KJ Johnson, Texas State
Alyssa Ortega, Texas State
Ryann Torres, Texas State
Janelle Stuempfig, Troy
Player of the Year: Jasmine Rivest, Coastal Carolina
Offensive Player of the Year: Jasmine Rivest, Coastal Carolina
Defensive Player of the Year: Jade Defraeye, Texas State
Libero of the Year: Mio Yamamoto, Louisiana
Setter of the Year: Kailey Keeble, South Alabama
Newcomer of the Year: KJ Johnson, Texas State
Freshman of the Year: Jalyn Stout, Coastal Carolina
Coach of the Year: Steve Loeswick, Coastal Carolina
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana is headed to Foley, Alabama to compete in the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Tournament from Thursday-Sunday, November 16-19 at the Foley Sports Tourism Complex.
The Ragin' Cajuns (18-12, 9-7 Sun Belt), the SBC West No. 4 seed, are matched up against SBC East No. 5 seed Old Dominion (14-16, 6-10 Sun Belt) to start tournament play, the two teams meeting in a second round matchup on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
The winner of Thursday's match advances to Friday's quarterfinal round against SBC East No. 1 seed Coastal Carolina (19-9, 14-2 Sun Belt) at 1:30 p.m.
Each of the tournament's 13 matches will be broadcast on ESPN+ culminating with championship match on Sunday, November 19 at 3:00 p.m.
The Sun Belt Volleyball Tournament features cashless ticketing. Tickets must be purchased online in advance through the Foley Sports Tourism Box Office or on-site. Tickets are sold on a daily basis and are $10 per day for adults and $5 per day for children ages 12 and under. Students of Sun Belt Conference institutions are admitted free with a valid student ID.
FOLLOW THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter (@RaginCajunsVB), Facebook (/RaginCajunsVB) or Instagram (@RaginCajunsVB) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Volleyball.
Fans are also encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
Yamamoto, the Sun Belt's leader in total digs in conference matches during her debut season, is the first Ragin' Cajun to claim Libero of the Year since the award was introduced in 2021 and Louisiana's first major award winner since 2019 (Hannah Ramirez, Newcomer of the Year).
The Chigasaki, Japan native was selected to the All-Sun Belt First Team, marking the highest honor for a libero in UL Volleyball history since the NCAA introduced the position in 2002. Yamamoto is just the second Cajuns libero to be named All-SBC, joining Sydney Davis from the 2017 season.
DeCambra earned a spot on the All-Sun Belt Second Team in her first season running Louisiana's 5-1 system, recording the first 1,000-assists season of her collegiate career and ranking Top 3 in the SBC in total assists and per set. The Maui, Hawaii product is the first UL setter honored since Avery Breaux in 2020.
Yamamoto and DeCambra's selection to the All-SBC Team increases the number of honorees in the Kristi Gray era to five – the first individuals from their respective positions.
It's the seventh consecutive season (2017-23) Louisiana placed at least one honoree on the All-Sun Belt Team – continuing the longest stretch as a member of the league. The total number of All-Sun Belt selections in program history grew to 33.
The 2023 All-Sun Belt postseason awards were voted on by the league's 14 head coaches.
The Ragin' Cajuns late-season surge, winning of six of the last seven matches, has been driven by the setter-libero combination of DeCambra and Yamamoto. DeCambra closed the regular season averaging 10-plus assists per set each of the final four conference series and hit 40-plus assists in five of the last seven outings. Yamamoto averaged four-plus digs per set the final seven consecutive SBC series, rising to five-plus per set twice in the final three weeks.
Yamamoto was the only player named SBC Defensive Player of the Week twice (Oct. 10, Oct. 31) and elevated her game in SBC play, recording 296 of regular season total 457 digs (65 percent). On three occasions she finished above 5.0 digs per set in a series including the matchup with SBC West Division champion Texas State (52 digs, 5.8 per set).
Her ascension to becoming the SBC's top libero took flight with an impressive October-long performance that included six 20-plus dig efforts out of the eight matches played in the month.
Yamamoto closed Sun Belt play with a string of 14 consecutive matches with double figures in digs, hitting the 20-dig mark seven times. Overall, she scooped double digits in digs 23 out of the season's 30 matches and has rounded up 450-plus in her Division I debut season after transferring in from New Mexico Military Institute.
DeCambra was one of only two setters in the Sun Belt to reach 1,100 assists, overall, in the regular season – notching exactly the amount and finishing only two assists off of the league lead. Her assists total is the highest by a Cajuns setter since 2017 (Jessica Bartczyszyn; 1,171).
In conference play, DeCambra passed out 40-plus assists eight times including a season-best 51 assists in a win over SBC West Division champion Texas State. Four times she hit the 40-assist mark in a four-set match in SBC action.
Decambra posted at least one double-double of assists and digs each of the final seven SBC series, totaling a team-leading seven double-doubles on the season. Her conference-only stat line also included 29 kills, 148 digs and 23 blocks and she directed UL's offense to 13.2 kills per set on a .215 hitting percentage over the 16-match SBC conference schedule.
The Cajuns duo heads to the SBC Tournament looking to make a run at program benchmarks. DeCambra sits 100 assists away from becoming the first Cajun with 1,200 assists since Andrea Hole in 2014, while Yamamoto aims for UL's first 500 digs season – and only the seventh occurrence in the rally scoring era (2001-present) – since 2018.
2023 Sun Belt Volleyball Awards
First-Team All-Sun Belt
Jasmine Rivest, Coastal Carolina
Jalyn Stout, Coastal Carolina
Reagan Barth, Georgia Southern
Sophie Davis, James Madison
Miëtte Veldman, James Madison
Mio Yamamoto, Louisiana
Myah Conway, Old Dominion
Kailey Keeble, South Alabama
Hannah Maddux, South Alabama
Samantha Wunsch, Texas State
Julia Brooks, Troy
Tori Hester, Troy
Second-Team All-Sun Belt
Maya Winterhoff, App State
Sydney Lewis, Coastal Carolina
Siena DeCambra, Louisiana
Essence Clerkley, Marshall
Niki Capizzi, South Alabama
Maddie Soboleski, South Alabama
Mia Wesley, Southern Miss
Jade Defraeye, Texas State
KJ Johnson, Texas State
Alyssa Ortega, Texas State
Ryann Torres, Texas State
Janelle Stuempfig, Troy
Player of the Year: Jasmine Rivest, Coastal Carolina
Offensive Player of the Year: Jasmine Rivest, Coastal Carolina
Defensive Player of the Year: Jade Defraeye, Texas State
Libero of the Year: Mio Yamamoto, Louisiana
Setter of the Year: Kailey Keeble, South Alabama
Newcomer of the Year: KJ Johnson, Texas State
Freshman of the Year: Jalyn Stout, Coastal Carolina
Coach of the Year: Steve Loeswick, Coastal Carolina
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana is headed to Foley, Alabama to compete in the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Tournament from Thursday-Sunday, November 16-19 at the Foley Sports Tourism Complex.
The Ragin' Cajuns (18-12, 9-7 Sun Belt), the SBC West No. 4 seed, are matched up against SBC East No. 5 seed Old Dominion (14-16, 6-10 Sun Belt) to start tournament play, the two teams meeting in a second round matchup on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
The winner of Thursday's match advances to Friday's quarterfinal round against SBC East No. 1 seed Coastal Carolina (19-9, 14-2 Sun Belt) at 1:30 p.m.
Each of the tournament's 13 matches will be broadcast on ESPN+ culminating with championship match on Sunday, November 19 at 3:00 p.m.
The Sun Belt Volleyball Tournament features cashless ticketing. Tickets must be purchased online in advance through the Foley Sports Tourism Box Office or on-site. Tickets are sold on a daily basis and are $10 per day for adults and $5 per day for children ages 12 and under. Students of Sun Belt Conference institutions are admitted free with a valid student ID.
FOLLOW THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter (@RaginCajunsVB), Facebook (/RaginCajunsVB) or Instagram (@RaginCajunsVB) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Volleyball.
Fans are also encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
- www.RaginCajuns.com -
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