FRISCO, Texas — Five Lamar University volleyball players earned a spot on the Southland Conference All-Academic team, the conference office announced Friday.

Alexa Gonzalez, Hailey McEllrath, Lyric Jordan, Daniella Udegbunam and Taisha Rhone represent LU on a list of 53 student-athletes.

To be considered for the honor, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.25 or better while participating in at least 50 percent of the team's competitions.

LU hasn't had a player honored on the all-academic team since 2008. 

The Cardinals had a huge turnaround during the 2025 season, finishing 17-15 overall while they placed fifth in conference with a 10-6 record. The program posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2008-2009 while it qualified for the conference tournament in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2010-2011.

Gonzalez, a marketing major, posted a 3.45 GPA.

The sophomore setter posted 950 assists, 275 digs, 44 service aces, 23 kills, 11 total blocks, 10 block assists and one solo block in 32 matches played.

In just two years, Gonzalez was able to reach a milestone of 1,807 career assists.

She finished third in the conference in assists and service aces as she posted 11 double doubles and 24 matches with 20 or more assists.

Gonzalez was named an SLC Setter of the Week on Oct. 20 as she totaled 104 assists in eight sets with four kills, three service aces, one solo block and 24 digs. 

She recorded a game-high 55 assists twice in a pair of four-set matches against Nicholls and Incarnate Word.

Majoring in communication broadcasting, McEllrath tallied a 3.30 GPA.

She appeared in 83 sets while she made starts in 23 matches. McEllrath posted 113 points, 59 kills, 60 total blocks, 44 block assists, 56 digs, 16 solo blocks, 16 service aces and five assists.

The Ridgefield, Wash. native tallied a season-high eight total blocks in a four-set match against Stetson on Aug. 30 while she finished with a season-high nine kills during a four-set match versus New Orleans on Oct. 4.

Jordan, a junior majoring in exercise science, had a 3.27 GPA.

She made 18 starts and played in 101 sets and 28 matches as she recorded 283.5 points, 257 kills, 107 digs, 34 total blocks, 25 block assists, five service aces and three assists.

Posting 10 or more kills in 12 matches, Jordan tallied a season-high 18 kills, 15 digs and five total blocks during a five-set match against the University of Tennessee at Martin on Sept. 13.

The performance earned her a spot on the Carrie Yerty Classic All-Tournament team.

Udegbunam posted a 3.40 GPA majoring in university studies. She started in 30 out of 31 matches played as she recorded 162.5 points, 128 total blocks, 89 block assists, 79 kills, 39 solo blocks and 22 digs.

She finished as the conference's leader in solo blocks while she ranked second in total blocks and third in block assists.

Nationally, she ranked third in Division I in solo blocks.

Udegbunam posted a season-high 14 total blocks and nine block assists during a five-set win over Texas Southern on Sept. 19.

Rhone wrapped up her career at LU earning second team All-SLC honors as she posted a 3.53 GPA as an exercise science major.

Starting in 18 games and playing in 27 matches, she tallied 359.5 points, 298 kills, 133 digs, 64 total blocks, 49 block assists, 22 service aces, 15 solo blocks and eight assists.

She had 10 or more kills in 14 matches as she finished seventh in the conference in kills and points.

Rhone tallied a season-high 26 kills in a five-set match against UL Monroe on Sept. 16 while she served up a season-high seven aces during a sweep of Nicholls on Nov. 1.