BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Gulf South Conference East Division leader Valdosta State placed the most players on the All-GSC teams of any team in the entire Gulf South Conference. Four Lady Blazers made the list while no other school had more than two on the teams. In addition, Head Coach Kiley Hill earned the GSC East Coach of the Year honor for the second time in his career.

Hill also took the award following the 2006-07 season when Valdosta State went 24-7 and 11-1 in the GSC East to claim the East Division Championship.

This season, Hill and the Lady Blazers started out 4-7, but turned it around with a 14-game winning streak, the longest current streak in the GSC, to finish the regular season 18-7 and flawless in the GSC at 10-0. In the process, Hill notched his 200th career victory. Valdosta State won every conference game by double digits with an average margin of victory of 18 points.

Some of the players that made it happen were VSU’s All-GSC performers: Leschelle Matthews, Michelle Thompson, Tamika Booker and Sierra Nixon. Matthews made the first team while Thompson, Booker and Nixon each made second team.

Matthews was named to the All-GSC second team last season and made the move to the first team this year. In conference play she averaged 10.7 points, 3.8 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 3.1 steals. She finished the regular season dishing out 97 assists and was named Player of the Week once this season. Matthews is top five in the GSC in steals (second), assists (fifth) and assists-to-turnover ratio (third).

Nixon also earned the Player of the Week honor once this season. She destroyed the conference on the glass, averaging 11 rebounds per game. She also chipped in 6.2 points per game and notched 19 blocks. Nixon is third in rebounds and fourth in blocked shots in the GSC.

Thompson paced the team this season in scoring. She averaged 11.5 points for the season and 12.3 points per Gulf South game. This season she eclipsed the 1,000-point mark and currently has 1059 points for her career. She is among the leaders in the conference in three-point shooting (53-143, 37.1 percent).

Booker has been strong in the post for VSU this season providing points and rebounds. For the season and in conference play she averages 8.7 points per game while bringing down 7.4 rebounds per GSC game. She is top ten in the conference in rebounding and field goal percentage. This season she was nearly unguardable one-on-one in the post.

Hill and the foursome will lead the Lady Blazers into the Gulf South Tournament in Southaven, Miss., this week. Valdosta State is the first game of the tournament and will tip off against Christian Brothers at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.