Dec. 1, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Middle blocker Belita Salters earned first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors from the vote of the league’s coaches, the conference office announced today.

Salters led the SEC this season with a .389 hitting percentage and ranked second during league play with her .371 mark against league opponents. One of only three people to appear in the league’s stat rankings in both hitting percentage and kills per set, the redshirt senior ranked second for South Carolina and ninth in the conference with 3.16 kills per set. Salters also led the Gamecocks with 0.81 blocks per set. The Scranton, S.C., product leaves Columbia with a number of listings in the record books, including spots in the top 10 all-time in hitting percentage, solo blocks, block assists, total blocks and blocks per set.

“Belita has had an amazing season,” said Gamecock head volleyball coach Ben Somera. “She has been one of the most offensive players in this conference all year long. I think a lot of that began with her finishing the season the right way last year and coming into this season believing that she was an all-conference player.”

Salters becomes the ninth Gamecock all-time to earn first-team distinction and the first since 2006, when Shonda Cole brought home the honor.

The SEC Player of the Year vote went to Kentucky setter Sarah Rumely. The Defensive Player of the Year was LSU’s Elena Martinez for the second-consecutive year, while Florida’s Kelly Murphy picked up the SEC Freshman of the Year award. Tennessee’s Rob Patrick garnered SEC Coach of the Year accolades, and Kelsey Bowers of Florida earned SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

The Gamecocks closed out the 2008 season with a 21-9 record overall.