GSC Volleyball All-Decade Team

SEARCY – Harding volleyball produced the Gulf South Conference Player of the Decade and Coach of the Decade and had four players named to the All-Decade Team according to a recent release by the GSC Office.

GSC Player of the Decade Manuela Nesheva, an outside hitter from Lukovit, Bulgaria, played at Harding from 2006-09 and earned the reputation as one of the most dominant hitters in program history. She twice earned GSC West Division Player of the Year honors (2008, 2009) and garnered All-America honors in 2007 when she led Division II in kills per set. Three times Nesheva captured 1^st Team All-GSC and Academic All-GSC accolades.

Nesheva completed her career as Harding's all-time leader in kills (2,165), kills per set (4.59), attack attempts (5,382), service aces (238) and service aces per set (0.50).

Under the direction of Harding head coach and GSC West Division Coach of the Decade Keith Giboney, the Lady Bisons posted a 268-92 overall record and a 106-16 mark in conference games. Giboney collected five GSC Coach of the Year honors, won seven GSC West championships and the 2003 GSC Tournament during the last 10 years.

In his time at Harding, Giboney's charges have collected 38 All-GSC, 19 All-Region, two All-America, three GSC West Player of the Year, 18 Academic All-GSC, 14 Academic All-District and two Academic All-America honors.

Joining Nesheva on the GSC All-Decade 1^st Team was Kate Kennedy, a middle blocker at Harding from 2001-04. Kennedy, a native of New Braunfels, Texas, earned All-GSC honors all four years and was the 2001 GSC Freshman of the Year and 2004 Player of the Year. She twice received All-Region honors. Kennedy stands as Harding's career leader with a .329 attack percentage.

Setter Leah Tepe and outside hitter Veronica Piech both garnered 2^nd Team All-Decade honors.

Tepe, a native of Germantown, Tenn., holds nearly all of Harding's setting records. She quarterbacked the squad from 2005-08, earning All-GSC honors all four years and All-Region honors twice. Tepe also took Academic All-GSC honors three times. She ranked in the top 20 nationally in assists in each of her four seasons, placing fourth in 2006 and 2007.

Piech, who hails from Milwaukee, Wis., earned All-GSC honors in 2002 and 2003. As a senior, the AVCA named Piech to its Honorable Mention All-America Team. Twice she earned Academic All-District honors. Piech ranks third at Harding in both career kills (1,648) and digs (1,981).