Two Local Southern Illinois Players Receive NJCAA All-Region 24 Honors
One of the main priorities for John A Logan Volleyball is to give local athletes the chance to excel at the college level. When a Southern Illinois athlete gets to compete with the best players in the Region and is named as one of the top performers, it's a proud moment for the program.
This season, two local players were recognized. Carbondale High School Alumni Ashton Hirst and Woodlawn Alumni Ashtyn Barton were named as 2 of the top 12 players in the area.
Ashton Hirst was named to the All-Region 1st Team. As a libero, Ashton's contributions were mostly on the defensive side. She led the team in overall digs for the season with 340, and digs per game at 4.03. She also was the most effective server on the team with 24 service aces at .28 per game. In addition, she led team passers with a 2.3 overall pass % rating.
According to Coach Burnside, "Ashton has just been a wonderful player for us. She has done a great job on the court and in the classroom. Her focus level and every-day positive attitude are just ideal for her position. When you combine that with her quickness and athleticism, it leads to some serious production on the court. I was very glad to see that other coaches in our region recognized and appreciated her abilities."
Ashtyn Barton from Woodlawn High School was also honored. Ashtyn made the all-Region 2nd team. She was 2nd on the team in overall kills for the season with 126 and 2nd in kills per game at 1.68. She was also a major contributor defensively at the net with 44 total blocks and .59 blocks per game.
"I felt like Ashtyn deserved to make the All-Region 1st team, but I don't get to vote for our own players. I don't think other coaches in our region noticed all the ways that she was contributing on the court. Ashtyn is such a quiet player, I think she kind of slipped below their radar sometimes. From my perspective she was absolutely critical to our success," said Coach.
With both players graduating this spring, the team will have a lot of production to replace on the court next season. "All the sophomores will be missed. They were a pleasure to coach and just did an amazing job off the court as well. Both of the all-region girls were 4.0 students, and a critical part of our overall 3.8 team GPA last season. Our freshmen have a lot to live up to on and off the court at John A Logan in 2023," said Coach.