Conference Carolinas

2018 Conference Carolinas Women's Volleyball All-Conference and Major Awards Announced

11/10/2018 12:00:00 AM

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Emmanuel College middle blocker Julie de Blanck was named the 2018 Conference Carolinas Women's Volleyball Offensive Player of the Year, while teammate Aysha Avery was named the Conference's Defensive Player of the Year. King University's Julie Ward earned Freshman of the Year honors. In addition, Belmont Abbey College's Toni Elyea was named the Coach of the Year, the Conference announced today.

New to the Conference Carolinas postseason award offering is the Elite 23 Award. The Elite 23 Award is modeled after the NCAA's Elite 90 Award, which is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumlative GPA at their respective championship site. The inaugural winner for women's volleyball is Belmont Abbey's Sarah Kenney.

De Blanck, a senior from Copenhagen, Denmark, dominated at the net while leading the Lions to a South Division title in Emmanuel’s first year of Conference Carolinas postseason eligibility. Due to her stellar consistency, de Blanck is the first Emmanuel athlete to be named Conference Carolinas Offensive Player of the Year, leading the Conference in hitting percentage (.349) and blocks per set (0.97), while finishing third in the league with total kills (346) and kills per set (3.49). 

Avery, a junior from Lawrenceville, Ga., was an unshakable force for the Lions' defense. Along with her co-captian Julie de Blanck, Avery is a pioneer for the Emmanuel women’s volleyball team, earning the first Conference Carolinas defensive player of the year award for the program. Avery led the Conference in digs per set (5.22), while finishing second in total digs (506).

An outside hitter from Berthoud, Colo., Ward had a spectacular first year at King, ranking second in the league with an average of 3.56 kills per set. Her 320 total kills rank fifth in the league and she ranks ninth with an attack percentage of .217. Ward was also solid on the defensive end, averaging 3.51 digs per set with a total of 316 digs. She leads the Tornado with 13 double-doubles on the season. Ward is the second Tornado to be selected Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year, joining Becca Huddleston in 2016..

Elyea wins Coach of the Year after leading the Crusaders to a 22-9 record, which included a 12-2 league record and an outright North Division title.

Kenney, a senior business management major from Mebane, N.C. comes to the Women's Volleyball Championship with an cumulative 3.912 GPA. The libero averages 4.7 digs per set.

Emmanuel led the way with three first team all-conference selections, as de Blanck was joined by Jessica Gray and Stephanie Hardy. In addition to Ward and Kenney, Barton College's Kaytlin Elkins and Southern Wesleyan University's Olivia Johnson rounded out the first team.

 

Women's All-Conference First Team

Julie Ward, King

Jessica Gray, Emmanuel

Olivia Johnson, Southern Wesleyan

Kaytlin Elkins, Barton

Julie de Blanck, Emmanuel

Sarah Kenney, Belmont Abbey

Stephanie Hardy, Emmanuel

Women's All-Conference Second Team

Paige Beisecker, North Greenville

Allie Cullens, Barton

Madyson Lousignont, Limestone

Annie Beisecker, North Greenville

Mackenzie Chrapliwy, Belmont Abbey

Aysha Avery, Emmanuel

Cassidy Bonito, Belmont Abbey

Women's All-Conference Third Team

Tristyn Lozano, King

Mia Cotton, Emmanuel

Katy Torgerson, Erskine

Mia McKensey, Emmanuel

Brianna Morgheim, Belmont Abbey

Erin Kennedy, Limestone

Angelica Acevedo, Barton

 

Women's Volleyball Regular Season Division Champions

Emmanuel College - South Division

Belmont Abbey College - North Division

 

2018 Women’s Volleyball Regular Season Statistical Champions

Hitting Percentage: Julie de Blanck, Emmanuel - .353

Kills Per Set: Kaytlin Elkins, Barton - 4.74

Assists Per Set: Stephanie Hardy, Emmanuel - 10.52

Blocks Per Set: Julie de Blanck, Emmanuel - 1.00

Digs Per Set: Aysha Avery, Emmanuel - 5.06

Service Aces Per Set: Abby Anderson, King - .47

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Conference Carolinas is a NCAA Division II athletics conference made up of 11 teams from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. These institutions consist of: Barton College, Belmont Abbey College, Converse College, Emmanuel College, Erskine College, King University, Lees-McRae College, Limestone College, University of Mount Olive, North Greenville University, and Southern Wesleyan University.