The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Serley, Thomas Named AVCA All-Midwest Region
12/6/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Dec. 6, 2011
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- Junior Sam Serley and senior Heather Thomas earned American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Midwest Region recognition announced by the league headquarters on Tuesday.
"It's a great honor for both Sam and Heather and for our program," head coach Kerry Messersmith said. "They both had fantastic seasons for us and were instrumental in our success on the court. They are both well deserving of the honor and we are very proud of their accomplishments as Blazers."
Serley was named to the 14-member All-Midwest Region squad, while Thomas was one of six players named honorable mention for the region.
Sam Serley, Jr., Middle Blocker
Serley, who was named All-Midwest Region for the second time in as many years, was a key cog in the front line of the Blazers top-notch defense. The middle blocker earned First Team All-Conference USA by finishing third in the league in overall hitting percentage (.351) and blocks per set (1.31).
During the season, the Nashville, Tenn. native earned the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week award on Oct. 10 and reached double-digit kills in 14 matches, including a season-high 20 at UCF. Serley also hit .400 or better in 11 matches, while posting her first two double-doubles of her career.
Heather Thomas, Sr., Libero
Thomas produced a stellar final season for UAB guiding the back row as the team's libero. She was named Second Team All-C-USA and earned the league's top weekly defensive honor three times in 2011.
The Madison, Ala. native led C-USA in total digs (631), while her per set average (5.35) also topped the conference. She broke the school record for career digs, with 2,131, ranking fourth in C-USA history. Thomas owns three of the top four single-season digs tallies in UAB lore, including the top spot, which she set this past season.
Under the guidance of Messersmith, it marks eight times a Blazer has been recognized as an AVCA All-Midwest Region player.
UAB All-Midwest Region Selections
2011: Sam Serley, Heather Thomas (HM)
2010: Sam Serley
2008: Ivana Bozic, Nevena Stefanov, Casey Dent (HM)
2006: Ivana Bozic, Fernanda Domingos (HM)
The Blazers finished the 2011 season second in the C-USA standings with a league record at 13-7 and 23-9 overall.
AVCA will announce its All-American selections on Wednesday, Dec. 14.
