Xavier's Taylor Reuther was chosen to the second team and tied for second in voting for Freshman of the Year.

A Louisiana Sports Writers Association panel selected the team, which was announced late Saturday. It's the first time that Xavier received All-Louisiana recognition in this sport.

Hamilton, hired less than 11 weeks before the Gold Nuggets' season opener, led Xavier to a 23-7 record — the program's first winning season — after finishing 11-26 in 2010. The 15½-match turnaround was the fourth best in the NAIA this year. Xavier won the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships without dropping a match and earned its first berth in the NAIA National Championship.

The Gold Nuggets were 9-1 in matches longer than three sets, and they set school records for victories, consecutive victories (8 — twice), home victories (8), conference victories (10), victories on opponents' courts (6) and winning percentage (.767).

Hamilton is the third coach — the second since the 1930s — to win a conference championship in a debut season at Xavier.

Reuther, a 5-foot-7 outside hitter from Metairie, La., and a graduate of St. Mary's Dominican High School, led Xavier in kills (324), aces (55) and digs (325). She was All-GCAC, GCAC Tournament Co-MVP and GCAC Player of the Week three times.

Reuther ranked 13th in the NAIA — third among freshmen — in aces per set. She produced a team-best 12 kill-dig double-doubles, nine more than Xavier had in 2010. Reuther had 16 matches with 10 or more kills and 18 matches with 10 or more digs.

Reuther received three votes for Freshman of the Year to share runner-up honors with LSU's Malorie Pardo. Northwestern State's Stacey DiFrancesco received five votes to earn the award.