Loynes and Goings Claim All-American Honors

Four Different Players Honored

LUBBOCK, Texas (December 7, 2009) - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced their postseason volleyball honors and several Lubbock Christian University Lady Chaparral volleyball members were honored.  The NAIA awarded Tachikara All-American honors to Elissa Loynes (Third Team) and Jordan Goings (Honorable Mention), and Daktronics Scholar Athlete honors to Loynes, Kelsey Odell and Courtney Yonke.  The AVCA awarded All-Mid-South Region accolades to Goings, Loynes and Odell, and All-American honors to Goings (Honorable Mention) and Loynes (Third Team).

The NAIA All-American awards are the top individual awards issued by the NAIA.  Goings and Loynes become the tenth and 11th different Lady Chap individuals to earn All-American status in program history.  The honor is also the 19th and 20th time a Lady Chap has claimed the honor. The last time LCU had two recipients in the same season was in 2004 (Mandy Moffitt and Meagan Kamplain).  Rachel Stuyvesant received Second Team honors last season.  Loynes claimed Third Team honors after claiming Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors.  She led the team with 391 kills and 87 blocks.  The junior from Kemah, Texas posted a.362 attack percentage to rank 21st in the NAIA.  Goings claimed Honorable Mention honors after leading the team with 1,343 assists.  The sophomore from Aledo, Texas ranked fourth in the NAIA with 11.3 assists per set.

The NAIA’s Daktronics Scholar Athlete honor is awarded to student-athletes that are at least a junior in academic status and maintain at least a 3.5 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale).   LCU has had 29 players earn the status all-time, and 17 have come over the six-season coaching span of head coach Jennifer Lawrence, who was a recipient of the honor in 1994.  Yonke becomes the program’s first three-time recipient of the honor   The NAIA awarded 303 volleyball student-athletes throughout the nation with the honor.

Loynes made her second appearance on the AVCA’s All-American list, qualifying on the Third Team.  Goings made her first appearance on the list.  The AVCA honored Stuyvesant and Loynes last season with All-American status.

The Lady Chaps closed out their season Thursday in pool play of the NAIA National Championship.  LCU went 27-8 this season and 13-1 in the Sooner Athletic Conference en route to their 12th SAC title and their seventh national championship appearance.