Mariner is Chosen First Team All-LSC South for Third Consecutive Season
Pilon Receives Honorable Mention

PORTALES, NM – Senior middle blocker Christabell Mariner (Pago Pago, Amer. Samoa/Tafuna HS), who set an Eastern New Mexico University career record with 1,695 kills, has been named First Team All-Lone Star Conference South Division for the third consecutive season, as selected by the LSC South head coaches. Mariner was one of just seven players named to the First Team.

ENMU senior middle blocker Raina Pilon (Eagan, MN/Pasco-Hernando CC) also received All-LSC South recognition as an Honorable Mention selection. A total of 19 players from the seven LSC South teams were named to the First Team, Second Team or Honorable Mention.

Mariner led the Zias with 458 kills (3.6 avg.) and a .257 hitting percentage this season. She concluded the year with 19 kills against the University of Texas-Permian Basin, moving her to 1,695 kills and allowing her to pass Eastern’s previous record of 1,687 career kills, set by Jennifer Goble Poyer from 1991-95. Mariner also holds the ENMU record for kills in a season (575), which she set in 2001.

She finished her career ranked second all-time at ENMU with 471 career total blocks. She also ranked third in career service aces (120) and was fourth in career digs (1,102). She was named First Team Daktronics All-Southwest Region in 2000, and earned LSC South Hitter-of-the-Week honors five times, including twice this season (Sept. 10 and Oct. 14).

In addition to leading the Zias in kills this season, Mariner provided ENMU with a team-high 49 service aces, plus 345 digs (2.7 avg.) and 31 assists. She also led the team with 130 total blocks (1.0 avg.). Her 49 aces tied for the third highest total in Zia volleyball history.

Mariner registered a career-high 30 kills against Angelo State on Sept. 9, 2000. She produced a career-high 24 digs against Colorado Mines on Aug. 31, 2002.

Pilon was perhaps Eastern’s most consistent all-around player this season. She was second on the team behind Mariner with 3.2 kills per game, and also ranked second with 0.95 total blocks per game. She recorded 300 kills, 90 total blocks and 232 digs (2.4 avg.). She also earned 21 service aces and achieved a .195 hitting percentage.

Pilon recorded double-digit kills in 17 of the 22 matches in which she played this year. She also registered 10 or more digs 11 times in 2002. She completed two seasons at ENMU with 604 kills, 542 digs and 202 total blocks. She previously was an Honorable Mention All-American at Pasco-Hernando CC.

Pilon set a career high with 23 kills against Cameron on Oct. 26 this season. She earned a career-high 21 digs against Southeastern Oklahoma on Oct. 5, 2001. Pilon was named Second Team All-LSC South in 2001.

ENMU Head Coach Mike Maguire improved his overall record at Eastern (16 years) to 337-199 (.629). He concluded the year with an all-time record of 352-214 (.622), including one season at Chadron State College in Nebraska.

LSC Special Awards
The following special award winners were chosen by the LSC South Coaches: Coach-of-the-Year, Tony Graystone, West Texas A&M; Freshman-of-the-Year, Desiree Reed, Tarleton State; Offensive Player-of-the-Year, Jess Anne Fernandes, West Texas A&M; Defensive Player-of-the-Year, Kacie Hyatt, West Texas A&M.