BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. -- Wheeling's Stephanie Sylvester, Audrey Francis and head coach Christy Benner, along with Urbana's Maggie Burns, have earned top honors from the Mountain East Conference as the league announced its annual awards and all-conference teams.
Sylvester, a senior from Oregon, Ohio, earned Player of the Year honors after directing Wheeling's offense as the team's setter. She leads the nation in assists per set (12.59) and is second in the country in total assists with 1,272. She's also helped the Cardinals hit .279 as a team this season -- good for third best in the NCAA. She had 18 matches of 40+ assists, and had a season-high 60 against Bemidji State.
Francis, a junior from Sidney, Ohio, is the MEC Libero of the Year for a third-straight season. She leads the league and is fourth in the country in digs per set with 6.16. She had 17 matches of 20+ digs and her 622 total digs this year rank 13th in the nation. Francis ranks second among active NCAA Division II players with 5.91 digs per set. She earned MEC Defensive Player of the Week four times this fall.
Burns, an outside hitter from Louisville, Ky., is the Freshman of the Year after racking up 305 kills and 2.80 kills per set for the Blue Knights. She was one of only four players to record over 1,000 attacks on the year. She contributed 2.50 digs per set and had 10 double-doubles on the year (kills/digs). Burns also added 33 blocks in her first season for Urbana.
Benner is the MEC Coach of the Year for a seventh-straight year after leading WJU to a 28-3 overall record. She also guided the Cardinals to a perfect 16-0 conference mark for a seventh-straight year. Wheeling has been nationally ranked every week this season is currently 16th heading into the postseason. Wheeling is the host and top seed for this week's MEC Tournament, and is currently ranked first in the most recent NCAA Atlantic Region rankings.
In addition to the individual awards, the MEC also released its all-conference teams. Wheeling had three first team selections, while Urbana had two. West Liberty, W.Va. State, Davis & Elkins and Mary Kate McHugh each had one first-team selection.
The All-MEC teams are selected by a vote of the league's coaches.
| 2019 MEC Individual Awards |
Player of the Year: Stephanie Sylvester (Wheeling)
Libero of the Year: Audrey Francis (Wheeling)
Freshman of the Year: Maggie Burns (Urbana)
Coach of the Year: Christy Benner (Wheeling) |
| 2019 All-MEC First Team |
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Cl. |
Hometown |
| MB |
Madison Clayton |
West Liberty |
Jr. |
Roseville, Ohio |
| S |
Anna Davis |
Urbana |
Jr. |
Aurora, Ohio |
| OH |
Jenna Dufresne |
W.Va. State |
So. |
Bedford, Ind. |
| L |
Audrey Francis |
Wheeling |
Jr. |
Sidney, Ohio |
| MB |
Haley Kramer |
Wheeling |
Sr. |
Norwalk, Ohio |
| OH |
Kaitlyn LaCour |
Davis & Elkins |
Sr. |
New Orleans, La. |
| OH |
Mary Kate McHugh |
Notre Dame |
Sr. |
North Canton, Ohio |
| L |
Courtney Niesen |
Urbana |
Jr. |
Cincinnati, Ohio |
| S |
Stephanie Sylvester |
Wheeling |
Sr. |
Oregon, Ohio |
| x |
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| 2019 All-MEC Second Team |
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Cl. |
Hometown |
| OH |
Gabrielle Bullock |
W.Va. State |
So. |
Pickerington, Ohio |
| L |
Kailee Cunningham |
West Liberty |
Sr. |
Independence, Ohio |
| OH |
Hannah Delor |
Urbana |
So. |
Marysville, Mich. |
| MH |
Rebecca Feeney |
Fairmont State |
Jr. |
Douglassville, Pa. |
| OH |
Breanna Kramer |
Wheeling |
Jr. |
Norwalk, Ohio |
| S |
Paige Staudacher |
Notre Dame |
Sr. |
Rochester Hills, Mich. |
| MB |
Gabrielle Thompson |
W.Va. State |
So. |
Westerville, Ohio |
| MH |
Janeese VerVelde |
Charleston |
Sr. |
Oostburg, Wisc. |
| x |
|
|
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| 2019 All-MEC Honorable Mention |
L: Alexandra Kaeberlein (Notre Dame), Kelsey Matusic (Charleston), Kelly Smith (Davis & Elkins)
S: Edwyna Lainez (Frostburg State)
MB: Allonda Watkins (Wheeling)
OH: Maggie Burns (Urbana), Julia DiPaola (Fairmont State), Cassie Meyer (Wheeling), Skylar Mace (Glenville State)
OH/RS: Jenny Lundy (W.Va. Wesleyan) |
| x |
|
|
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| 2019 MEC All-Freshman Team |
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Cl. |
Hometown |
| OH |
Maggie Burns |
Urbana |
Fr. |
Louisville, Ky. |
| OH |
Emily Davis |
W.Va. State |
Fr. |
Tiffin, Ohio |
| OH |
Kaye Dregalla |
Notre Dame |
Fr. |
Olmstead Falls, Ohio |
| OH/RS |
Jenny Lundy |
W.Va. Wesleyan |
Fr. |
Brazil, Ind. |
| OH/RS |
Amelia Moore |
Fairmont State |
Fr. |
Mansfield, Ohio |
| OH |
Karlei Shaver |
Glenville State |
Fr. |
Alderson, W.Va. |
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