NATCHITOCHES – After one of the best seasons by a middle blocker in program history, freshman Reaghan Thompson was named Second-Team All-Southland Conference, the league office announced on Thursday. 
 
Thompson established herself as a force at the net for the Lady Demon defense on opening weekend of the 2022 season. 
 
In just the third match of her collegiate career, Thompson recorded the second most solo blocks (7) and the third most total blocks (10) in a single match as part of NSU's record-setting 20 blocks day against Fairleigh Dickinson.
 
She finished her first weekend for the Lady Demons with 19 total blocks in three matches, a 1.46 block per set average, and earned her first defensive player of the week honor.
 
Opening weekend served a jumping off point for what turned into a season for the record books.
 
The Kemah, Texas, native recorded two more 10-block matches, both coming in conference play, and now owns three of the top nine best single-match blocking performances in school history.
 
Her two double-digit blocking matches during conference play were also double-doubles as she added 11 kills each time. It is the first time an NSU player has had multiple kill-block double-doubles in a season or in a career. Thompson equaled the total number of kill-block double-doubles in program history within a two-week span on the conference season.
 
Her consistent presence at the net along with her athletic ability helped her become the first freshman to ever record 100 blocks in a single season. She is just the sixth player, regardless of classification, to reach the century mark in a single year at NSU.
 
At the end of the regular season Thompson's 133 total blocks is the second most in a single season in program history and shattered the previous freshman record of 98 set in 2016 by Kourtney Seaton.
 
She is the third player to every record 100 block assists in a season, ranking third with 104, and her 29 solo stops this year puts her in the top 10 in that category as well.
 
Thompson finished atop the Southland Conference leaderboard in overall blocks per set (1.13), total blocks in conference matches (87) and blocks per set in conference matches (1.18)
 
Her efficiency in the offensive side of her game was equally as impressive as her defensive work. 
 
Thompson has a team-best .325 attack percentage for the year, the second highest mark overall in the conference, with more than 235 kills. During conference play she was equally as consistent, hitting .324 with 167 kills, finishing the year with five straight double-figure kill matches, the longest by anyone on the team this year.

Full All-Southland Teams and Individual Awards

Player of the Year – Kyndal Payne, A&M-Corpus Christi
Freshman of the Year – Sanni Rantanen, McNeese
Libero of the Year – Carissa Barnes, A&M-Corpus Christi
Newcomer of the Year – Grace McLaughlin, HCU
Setter of the Year – Faith Panhans, A&M-Corpus Christi
Coach of the Year – Trent Herman, HCU
 
FIRST TEAM
Kyndal Payne, A&M-Corpus Christi
Kailin Newsome, Southeastern
Anna Gadway, HCU
Faith Panhans, A&M-Corpus Christi
Leah Stolfus, A&M-Corpus Christi
Kendall Glueck, McNeese
Libero – Carissa Barnes, A&M-Corpus Christi
 
SECOND TEAM
Sara Arroyo, HCU
Sanni Rantanen, McNeese
Cicily Hidalgo, Southeastern
Reaghan Thompson, Northwestern State
Audrey Pearce, HCU
Grace McLaughlin, HCU
Libero – Bailey Tillman, McNeese