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Following a season in which it finished tied for third overall in the competitive West Coast Conference, LMU volleyball saw three of its players honored with All-WCC honors on Monday morning. Included in the three was Sarah Sponcil, who also took home WCC Defender of the Year.

Sponcil garnered her second consecutive All-WCC first team selection, joined this year by senior Jamie Lea. Freshman Savannah Slattery also took home an All-WCC selection, earning a spot on the Freshman team.

Sponcil becomes the first Lion to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors since Betsi Metter accomplished the feat in 2011, 2012 and 2013. A preseason All-WCC selection, the versatile six-rotation player led the team in kills with 402, averaging 3.65 per set. She also tied for the team lead in aces with 26, and was second on the team in digs with 328 (2.98 per set). Collecting a double-double in more than half of her matches this year, she finished the 2016 campaign with 16, including posting double-digit kills in all but five matches. The Pioneer Classic MVP following a tournament at Denver, she also took home MVP at the Flyer Classic in Dayton before being named WCC Player of the Week on 9/19 for her efforts at that tournament. Listed on ESPNW's 2016 Top-12 Players to Watch list, Sponcil boasted 15+ kills in 12 of her 30 matches this year, and managed 20 double-digit dig nights overall.

Lea was also a preseason All-West Coast Conference selection leading into her senior campaign. The native of Efland, N.C. saw time at outside hitter and opposite, proving her versatility on the court. Lea, the WCC Player of the Week on 11/7, finished third on team in kills with 257 while averaging 2.47 per set. She was also second on the team in blocks, collecting four solos and 60 assists for a total of 64.

Slattery finished second on the team in kills as a freshman, totaling 330 to average 3.27 per set. She also managed 16 aces, 114 digs and 32 blocks, including four solos and 28 block assists. The native of Malibu, Calif. contributed double-digit kills in 18 of her 29 matches played, including a season-best 24 at BYU on 10/22 in which she also collected 14 digs for one of two double-doubles on the season.

2016 West Coast Conference Coaches of the Year: Brent Crouch, Portland
2016 West Coast Conference Player of the Year: Lisa Kramer, San Diego
2016 West Coast Conference Defender of the Year: Sarah Sponcil, Loyola Marymount
2016 West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year: McKenna Miller, BYU

2016 All-WCC Volleyball First Team
Name | Yr. | Pos. | School
Emmy Allen | Sr. | OH | Gonzaga
Amy Boswell | Sr. | MB | BYU
Jasmine Gross | Fr. | MB | Pepperdine
Nikki Hess | Sr. | OH | Santa Clara
Hunter Jennings | Sr. | LIB | San Diego
Lisa Kramer | Sr. | OH | San Diego
Jamie Lea | Sr. | OPP | Loyola Marymount
McKenna Miller | Fr. | OH | BYU
Lauren Schad | Sr. | MH | San Diego
Sarah Sponcil | Jr. | OH | Loyola Marymount
Hannah Troutman | Jr. | OH | Portland
Whitney Young Howard | Sr. | MB | BYU

2016 WCC Volleyball Honorable Mention
Kaity Edwards, San Diego; Lexi Elman, Pacific; Ashlyn Fleming, Pacific; Kristen Gengenbacher, San Diego; Katrina Gotterba, Pacific; Mary Lake, BYU; Kirsten Mead, Santa Clara; Alexis Salmons, Saint Mary's; Katie Sullivan, Portland; Tarah Wylie, Pepperdine

2016 All-WCC Volleyball Freshman Team
Name | Yr. | Pos. | School
Kristyna Adamcikova | OH | San Francisco
Ashlyn Fleming | MB | Pacific
Jasmine Gross | MB | Pepperdine
Mary Lake | LIB | BYU
McKenna Miller | OH | BYU
Savannah Slattery | OH | Loyola Marymount
Cali Thompson | S | Portland

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