Lady Lion volleyball had a record-breaking 2023 season, which ended with the program’s second consecutive Southland Conference tournament championship win over Texas A&M Corpus-Christi on Nov. 19.
The Green and Gold swept the Islanders 3-0, which marked 22 straight wins, the most in SLC volleyball history. During the winning streak, SLU dominated its opponents by outscoring them a combined 66-7. Notably, 16 out of their 22 wins came in a sweep.
Simply put, the Lady Lions dominated the SLC the entire season. They held a record of 17-1 in conference and 28-5 overall.
At the helm of their success was Head Coach Jeremy White. He has coached Southeastern through two straight winning seasons with a combined record of 53-13. White’s outstanding season earned him Katrinka Jo Crawford Coach of the Year honors in the SLC.
Under White’s tutelage, SLU won its first-ever regular season SLC title and made it to the NCAA volleyball tournament for the second straight year.
In the NCAA tournament, the Lady Lions faced the powerhouse and No. 6 ranked Oregon Ducks. Despite a hard-fought game, Southeastern lost 3-0; however, White’s squad still took home multiple awards for their fantastic campaign.
In the championship game versus TAMCC, senior outside hitter Kailin Newsome had a staggering 21 kills. For the season, the Houston, Texas, native recorded a whopping 453 total kills, which is 13.7 per contest.
Newsome’s historic season doesn’t end there; she finished the year third all-time in Southeastern school history in kills.
Her efforts earned her a spot on the First Team All-Southland squad. Joining Newsome on the first team was junior setter/opposite Rachel Hartmann. The Slidell native transferred to the Green and Gold after spending the previous two seasons at William Carey University.
Hartmann logged 369 kills and contributed 434 total points in her debut season for the Lady Lions. Hartmann was awarded Newcomer of the Year for her spectacular performances throughout the season.
Appearing on the second team was junior outside hitter Cicily Hidalgo, who had 282 kills on the season and 323.5 points overall. After every point she scored, Lady Lion fans in Hammond, America, screamed her name.
As the Lady Lions reflect on their extraordinary year, their achievements and accolades will be remembered for the historic victories and the indomitable spirit displayed by the players, coaches and supporters.
The Lady Lion volleyball program has set a standard of excellence that will resonate for years to come.
