CHARLESTON, Ill. — Little Rock junior libero
Andrea Roman is already well on her way to becoming the most decorated defensive player in the history of the Trojan volleyball program, and she — along with two of her teammates — added another accolade on Saturday with the announcement of the 2025 All-Ohio Valley Conference Volleyball awards.
Roman — who ranked among the top five nationally all year in total digs and digs per set — took home one of the biggest honors, earning OVC Defensive Player of the Year recognition along with First Team All-OVC status.
A'lanae Margaritha and
Bella Cherry were each named to the Second Team.
"I'm extremely proud of these girls, not just for what they've done individually, but for what they bring from a leadership aspect to the group," head coach
Van Compton said. "I'm pleased with how our program is represented on the All-Conference list and hope that it can extend to the tournament."
Roman won the OVC Defensive Player of the Week award five times during the regular season and enters the OVC Championships ranked second nationally in total digs (602) and fourth in digs per set (5.3). She is just 23 digs shy of breaking the program's single-season record of 624 — a mark she set last season.
Roman ranks second in program history with 1,541 digs, just 84 shy of the top spot. She set a single-match mark of 38 digs on Nov. 13 against Tennessee Tech and recorded three matches with 35-plus digs and six matches with at least 25. Her efforts have helped the Trojans rank fifth nationally in both total team digs and digs per set.
This is Roman's second straight appearance on the All-OVC list after earning Second Team honors as a sophomore.
"Earning these awards means a lot to me. I've worked hard for moments like this, but none of it happens without my teammates and coaches," Roman said. "We've grown a lot this year, and I'm looking forward to pushing even further."
Margaritha remains one of the most efficient hitters in program history, ranking second in career hitting percentage (.320) and eighth in single-season percentage (.324) this year. The intimidating middle blocker posted 242 kills, 30 service aces, 95 blocks, and 327 total points during the regular season.
She earned Lion Invitational All-Tournament honors on Aug. 30 and was named OVC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 1. She set career highs of 17 kills (twice), four aces (three times), and four solo blocks (twice) during the 2025 campaign.
"I've worked so hard for this, and it's nice to see it pay off. I wouldn't have achieved this without God, my teammates, coaches, and family who have believed in me and supported me," Margaritha said. "This achievement is not only mine, but ours as a team — and for my family back home."
In her third season with the Trojans, Cherry earned All-Tournament honors at the Tulsa Invitational on Sept. 20 and picked up OVC Offensive Player of the Week recognition on Oct. 6. She ranks ninth in program history in total attacks and is just 79 kills away from breaking into the program's top 10. With 910 career kills, she sits just 90 shy of the 1,000 milestone.
Cherry has shown consistent improvement each year, posting career bests this season with 361 kills, 308 digs, and 407.5 points. She also set personal bests of 23 kills, 25 digs, and a .522 single-match hitting percentage in 2025.
"I'm so grateful to receive this award and be part of such a special team," Cherry said. "We all push each other every day, and I couldn't have done it without each one of them."
Little Rock opens play in the OVC Championships tomorrow as the No. 5 seed and will face No. 4 SEMO in the final first-round match of the day at 7:00 p.m. in Charleston, Ill. All matches from the tournament will be available on ESPN+.
