Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Banton and Lawson Body Total Three Honors and One Award
11/18/2021 8:08:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
DALLAS – Samira Lawson Body and Marley Banton combined for three honors and one award from the league office and CoSIDA on Thursday, November 18.
A day before the start of the Conference USA Championship Tournament, the Blue Raiders added a few bonuses to their best season in years. Banton and Lawson Body combined for two All-Conference nominations, the most Middle Tennessee has had in a single season since 2011.
Marley Banton – C-USA Libero of the Year, All-Conference Second Team (C-USA)
Banton became the first Blue Raider volleyball player to receive a superlative from Conference USA, taking home the Libero of the Year award. The last Blue Raider to receive a superlative was Izabela Kozon when she earned Sun Belt Player of the Year in 2010. To find the last defensive minded superlative you would have to dig even deeper to 2005. Banton also received an All-Conference USA Second Team nod to go along with the award.
Marley's 5.02 digs per set in conference play to go along with her 39-dig match that set a program high and C-USA season best were two big reasons to tab her the award. Throughout the season Banton has been rewriting the record book whether it be digs or service aces. The redshirt sophomore will end up with the highest dig per set season during the 25-point rally era and has a chance to be one of two Blue Raiders to ever have a season over 4.5 digs per set; the other being the all-time digs leader for MTSU, Alicia Lemau'u, who set the record with 4.99 digs per set in 2005. She is currently the only C-USA player over 200 digs in conference play with 256.
Banton has tied her career-game high of four service aces four times this season sitting at second on the team with 24 aces on the season. At the beginning of the season Marley sat at 58 service aces which is tied for ninth during the 25-point rally scoring era. She currently sits in third place with 82 service aces, 23 out from Chelsea Ross in first who finished with 105 aces.
Samira Lawson Body – All-Conference Second Team (C-USA), CoSIDA All-District First Team
Lawson Body has had an amazing week that started with receiving her second Conference USA All-Academic Team nod on Monday. The outside hitter added an All-Conference Second Team and a CoSIDA All-District First Team nod to the end of her senior season. Since Lawson Body was nominated to the All-District First Team, she will be able to move on for a chance to be named All-American in December.
The 4.0 student-athlete is the engine to the Blue Raider attack, racking up a team leading 256 points and 236 kills on the season. During their last home match against FAU, Lawson Body made it onto the top-10 kills list for the 25-point rally scoring era and currently sits in ninth ahead of her current teammate Kayla Henley with 543 kills.
Follow the Blue Raiders on Twitter (@MT_Volleyball), Instagram (@mt_volleyball), and Facebook (Middle Tennessee Blue Raider Volleyball).
A day before the start of the Conference USA Championship Tournament, the Blue Raiders added a few bonuses to their best season in years. Banton and Lawson Body combined for two All-Conference nominations, the most Middle Tennessee has had in a single season since 2011.
Marley Banton – C-USA Libero of the Year, All-Conference Second Team (C-USA)
Banton became the first Blue Raider volleyball player to receive a superlative from Conference USA, taking home the Libero of the Year award. The last Blue Raider to receive a superlative was Izabela Kozon when she earned Sun Belt Player of the Year in 2010. To find the last defensive minded superlative you would have to dig even deeper to 2005. Banton also received an All-Conference USA Second Team nod to go along with the award.
Marley's 5.02 digs per set in conference play to go along with her 39-dig match that set a program high and C-USA season best were two big reasons to tab her the award. Throughout the season Banton has been rewriting the record book whether it be digs or service aces. The redshirt sophomore will end up with the highest dig per set season during the 25-point rally era and has a chance to be one of two Blue Raiders to ever have a season over 4.5 digs per set; the other being the all-time digs leader for MTSU, Alicia Lemau'u, who set the record with 4.99 digs per set in 2005. She is currently the only C-USA player over 200 digs in conference play with 256.
Banton has tied her career-game high of four service aces four times this season sitting at second on the team with 24 aces on the season. At the beginning of the season Marley sat at 58 service aces which is tied for ninth during the 25-point rally scoring era. She currently sits in third place with 82 service aces, 23 out from Chelsea Ross in first who finished with 105 aces.
Samira Lawson Body – All-Conference Second Team (C-USA), CoSIDA All-District First Team
Lawson Body has had an amazing week that started with receiving her second Conference USA All-Academic Team nod on Monday. The outside hitter added an All-Conference Second Team and a CoSIDA All-District First Team nod to the end of her senior season. Since Lawson Body was nominated to the All-District First Team, she will be able to move on for a chance to be named All-American in December.
The 4.0 student-athlete is the engine to the Blue Raider attack, racking up a team leading 256 points and 236 kills on the season. During their last home match against FAU, Lawson Body made it onto the top-10 kills list for the 25-point rally scoring era and currently sits in ninth ahead of her current teammate Kayla Henley with 543 kills.
Follow the Blue Raiders on Twitter (@MT_Volleyball), Instagram (@mt_volleyball), and Facebook (Middle Tennessee Blue Raider Volleyball).
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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