Northwestern State’s Reaghan Thompson and Teresa Garza received statewide recognition on Wednesday with the release of the 2023 Louisiana Sports Writer’s Association All-Louisiana teams.
For the second year in a row the Demons had two selections to the annual team with Thompson picking up her second straight first-team honor and Garza receiving an honorable mention.
Thompson was one of four Southland players on the seven-player first-team squad and one of eight overall from the conference on the first or second team.
The best defensive middle in the state, Thompson led the Southland in blocks and blocks per set for the second straight season. She finished the season with a new NSU single-season record 164 rejections and a 1.52 per set average, the best totals of any player in the state of Louisiana.
She set the new SLC rally scoring record for blocks per set in a season overall and finished just a handful shy of breaking the conference’s single-season mark for total blocks.
Against the top teams in the Southland, those that earned the one through four seeds in the tournament, Thompson collected 53 total blocks and averaged 1.77 blocks per set. Against eventual champion Southeastern, she had 19 blocks, the most against any one team this year.
In just her sophomore season Thompson became the fastest player in NSU history to reach both the 200 and 300 career block milestones, making it to the latter in a staggering 61 total matches. She currently ranks fourth all-time at NSU in total blocks with 312.
An equally as efficient offensive player, Thompson also finished seventh in the conference with a .300 attack percentage, one of seven players with a .300 rate or better this year. She committed more than three errors in a match just twice on the entire season and had 10 matches where she hit better than .350.
Garza was a linchpin player for the Demons in 2023 putting together one of the best all-around campaigns in program history.
The transfer from Wyoming turned in the eighth 300 kill-300 digs season in program history, becoming just the sixth different player to do so. She led the team with 304 kills and finished second in digs with 378.
Her 378 digs were the seventh most by any player in the Southland this season and the most by a non-libero, giving the Demons the top defensive outside for the second straight season. She also added 75 total blocks to her defensive prowess, which was by far the most of any player ranked in the top 10 in the conference in points and the most by an outside hitter in the conference.
Garza turned in eight kill-dig double-doubles in SLC play this season and had 13 total matches with double-digit digs.
2023 LSWA All-Louisiana Women’s College Volleyball Team
Player of the Year: Kailin Newsome, Southeastern Louisiana
Libero of the Year: Bailey Tillman, McNeese
Newcomer of the Year: Rachel Hartmann, Southeastern Louisiana
Freshman of the Year: Jurnee Robinson, LSU
Coach of the Year: Jeremy White, Southeastern Louisiana
First Team
OH – Avery Burks, Tulane
S – Siena DeCambra, Louisiana-Lafayette
S/OPP – Rachel Hartmann, Southeastern Louisiana
OH – Kailin Newsome, Southeastern Louisiana
OH – Jurnee Robinson, LSU
MB – Reaghan Thompson, Northwestern State
Libero – Bailey Tillman, McNeese
Second Team
MB – Amaya Bazemore, Loyola (N.O.)
OH – Carissa Chainey, McNeese
OH – Karen Cordero Barr, New Orleans
MB – Tshilanda Diouf, McNeese
S – Gracie Duplechein, Southeastern Louisiana
OH – Shyia Richardson, Louisiana-Lafayette
OH – Kennedy Wade, Xavier
Libero – Mio Yamamoto, Louisiana-Lafayette
Honorable Mention
MB – Anita Anwusi, LSU; S – Emma Cother, Louisiana Christian; L – Ruxandra Flueras, Xavier;
OH – Teresa Garza, Northwestern State; L – McKenzie Johnson, Louisiana Tech; MB – Taylor Parker, Xavier; MB – Emily Sheperis, Loyola (N.O.); RS – Katie Spell, Louisiana Christian.
