SHAWNEE – For the first time in the program's NCAA Division II history, two Oklahoma Baptist volleyball players were named to an all-region team.
Maci Langford and
Jill Leslie were selected to the D2 Conference Commissioners Association All-Central Region squad on Wednesday.
Previously, program great Malia Leatherland earned all-region accolades from D2CCA and the AVCA during the 2019 campaign.
Langford, a senior libero, and Leslie, a redshirt sophomore middle blocker, were both named to the D2CCA's second team. The honors come after those two helped direct the Bison to a share of the Great American Conference's regular season title, a GAC Tournament Championship over Henderson State and automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, OBU's second appearance.
For the second consecutive season, Langford was named the GAC's Defensive Player of the Year. She averaged 4.81 digs per set, a mark that's eighth-best in OBU history and totaled 515 digs. Her career total moved to 1,142, also eighth-best in program lore. The Arlington, Texas native recorded at least 20 digs in eight games including a season-best 32 versus Washburn on Sept. 8.
As for Leslie, a native of Wichita Falls, Texas, she had an outstanding second season for the Bison. She was an All-GAC First Team member and GAC Tournament MVP. Leslie ranked second in the GAC in hitting (.341), seventh in points (3.50) and tenth in blocks (0.85). During the regular season, she became the first Bison player to earn GAC Defensive and Offensive Player of the Week awards in the same campaign.
In 11 matches this fall, Leslie recorded double-digit kills and hit at least .350 in 15 different contests. She also recorded at least four blocks 13 times.
