Lauren Sears (photo courtesy Southern Miss athletics).
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By Dan Sousa
LoudounPrepSports.com Senior Content Editor

(Jan. 1, 2009) - Broad Run High School graduate Lauren Sears was recently named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team after completing her first season at Southern Mississippi University.

Sears was ranked 19th in league matches in hitting percentage (.256) and 20th in service aces (22). Southern Miss went 17-12 on the season before being upset by Marshall in the first round of the Conference USA tournament. Sears played in all 29 matches and in all but two of the 107 sets on the season.

She finished with 192 kills on 452 total attacks. Sears also had 109 total blocks.

The great freshman season for Sears did not surpirse Dynamic Sports Performance owner Mark Nemish as he helped Sears prepare for college athletics.

“Lauren Sears has trained at Dynamic Sports Performance for a few years and last spring and summer we prepared her for her strength and conditioning program at the University of Southern Mississippi.  During that time she made some incredible physical gains specific to volleyball.  She has been one of our best female athletes in terms of hard work and discipline.  She is a great role model for up and coming female collegiate athletes!” said Nemish.  

2008 C-USA VOLLEYBALL AWARDS 

ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS

All-Conference First Team
Lucy Charuk, So., MB, Houston 
Justine Farmer, Sr., OH, Houston 
Jalicia Ross, Sr., MB, Marshall 
Natalie Bogan, Jr., MB, Rice 
Karyn Morgan, Sr., OH, Rice
Meredith Schamun, So., S, Rice
Sara Radosevic, Sr, OH, Tulane 
Bridget Wells, Sr., RS, Tulane 
Beth Hodge, Sr., OH, Tulsa 
Ivana Bozic, Sr., OH, UAB
Casey Dent, Sr., MB, UAB
Nevena Stefanov, Sr., S, UAB

All-Conference Second Team
Laura Côté, Sr., S, Memphis
Emily Underwood, So., MB, Memphis
Jessica Holderness, Sr., OH, Rice
Tracey Lam, So., L, Rice
Visnja Djurdjevic, Fr., OH, Tulane 
Jen Linder, Sr., MB, Tulane 
Jenn Miller, Jr., L, Tulane
Jennifer Eichler, Jr., OH, Tulsa
Lilly Domingos, Sr., MB, UAB
Stephanie Serna, Sr., RS, UCF

All-Freshman Team
Ingrida Zauere, MB, Houston
Carolyn Baker, MH, Memphis
Ashleigh McCord, MB, Rice
Dana Powell, OH, SMU
Lauren Sears, MS, Southern Miss
Visnja Djurdjevic, OH, Tulane
Rachel Vukson, S, Tulsa

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Newcomer of the Year
Jennifer Eichler, Tulsa

Freshman of the Year
Visnja Djurdjevic, Tulane

Libero of the Year
Tracey Lam, Rice

Setter of the Year
Nevena Stefanov, UAB

Player of the Year
Sara Radosevic, Tulane

Co-Coach of the Year 
Liz Kritza, Tulane 
Genny Volpe, Rice


More on Lauren Sears from the Southern Miss media guide: Hard worker ... Adds depth to the middle position ... Will challenge for playing time in the middle ... High School/Club Team: A four-year letterwinner at Broad Run High School for Coach Susan Dezzntli ... Tallied 289 kills with an attack percentage of .477 her senior season ... Recorded 105 service aces and 88 blocks ... Named the 2008 Senior Aces "The 150" by PrepVolleyball.com ... Earned first team all-district and second team all-region honors ... Named her team's MVP and co-captain ... Honorable Mention All-Met two times ... Tabbed Velocity Sports Performance Athlete of the Month ... Played club volleyball for Coach John Teifer on the Virginia Elite squad ... Personal: Born June 22, 1990 ... Daughter of David and Kimberley Sears ... Father played volleyball at The Ohio State University ... Mother played volleyball and basketball at Missouri State ... Sister, Sarah, plays volleyball at Stetson University ... Member of National Honor Society ... An economics major.