PAC announces all-conference women’s volleyball teams, annual award winners

PAC announces all-conference women’s volleyball teams, annual award winners

Bookmark and Share

GREENVILLE, Pa. (pacathletics.org) – The Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) released its 2016 All-PAC women's volleyball teams and conference award winners Tuesday.

The conference’s 10 head women’s volleyball coaches selected the All-PAC teams and the league’s annual award winners.

Bethany College senior outside hitter Dylana McKenzie (Hopewell, Ohio / West Muskingum) was named the PAC Player of the Year, while Thomas More College first-year setter Alli Borders (Florence, Ky. / Boone County) collected the league’s Freshman of the Year award.

McKenzie is Bethany’s first PAC Player of the Year selection since Lorraine Ramhoff and Grove City College’s Lisa Lippencott were dubbed PAC Co-Players of the Year following the 1992 season. McKenzie also claimed PAC Freshman of the Year honors in 2013.

Borders is the sixth Thomas More player to secure Freshman of the Year honors since the Saints became affiliated with the league in 2005.

PAC Coach of the Year honors went to Bethany 10th-year head coach Courtney Kline. The Coach of the Year honor is Kline’s second (2009).

Grove City, led by third-year head coach Erin Street, was voted this year’s PAC Team Sportsmanship Award winner for the seventh-straight season.

McKenzie and top-seeded Bethany won their first-ever PAC Championship Tournament title Saturday at Nutting Gymnasium in Bethany, West Virginia with a 3-1 victory over second-seeded Thomas More in this year’s title match.

A four-time All-PAC First Team selection, McKenzie led the league, and ranks 28th among NCAA Division III counterparts, in total kills (442) while tying for second in kills per set (3.51). She was second in the PAC in total points scored (477.5), fifth in points per set (3.79) and hit .284, good for third in the PAC, this season. McKenzie also totaled 64 blocks (7 solo, 57 assisted) and posted 10 or more kills in 26 matches this season. In Bethany’s seven championship tournament sets, she hit. 324 with 32 kills on 71 total attacks.

Borders led the PAC in assists per set (9.96) and finished second in total assists (1,076) while ranking 35th and 38th, respectively, in the most recent Division III statistical rankings. She added 229 digs (2.12 per set), 44 blocks (6 solo, 38 assisted) and 26 service aces and hit at a .306 clip, totaling 133 kills on 305 total attempts.

By virtue of securing this year’s PAC Championship Tournament title, Bethany (25-11) earned the league’s automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Division III Championship. The Bison will travel to Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan Thursday to face 10-time defending North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) champion Wittenberg University (21-5) in the opening round. The Bethany-Wittenberg match is scheduled to get underway at 3 p.m. Calvin’s Van Noord Arena is serving as the host site for the eight-team regional tournament.

2016 PAC Award Winners
PAC Player of the Year: Bethany senior outside hitter Dylana McKenzie
PAC Freshman of the Year: Thomas More first-year setter Alli Borders
PAC Coach of the Year: Bethany’s Courtney Kline
PAC Team Sportsmanship Award: Grove City
 
2016 All-PAC First Team
Name School Position Year Hometown / High School
Dakota McKenzie Bethany OH Sr. Hopewell, Ohio / West Muskingum
Dylana McKenzie Bethany OH Sr. Hopewell, Ohio / West Muskingum
Allie Powell Bethany S Sr. Indianapolis, Ind. / Lawrence Central
Gabrielle Dickson Geneva LIB Sr. Brookfield, Ohio / Kennedy Catholic
Marissa Naples Geneva MH Jr. Cortland, Ohio / Lakeview
Alexis Bierbaum Thomas More MH Sr. Cincinnati, Ohio / McAuley
Alli Borders Thomas More S Fr. Florence, Ky. / Boone County
Marisa Meyer Thomas More OH Sr. Cincinnati, Ohio / Seton
Allison Means W&J LIB Sr. Connellsville, Pa. / Connellsville Area
Lexi Yoho Westminster MH Jr. Pittsburgh, Pa. / Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
 
2016 All-PAC Second Team
Name School Position Year Hometown / High School
Alexis Castro Bethany MH Sr. Lorain, Ohio / Lorain
Maggie Merren Bethany LIB Fr. Oregon, Ohio / Clay
Justyne Lasher Chatham OH Fr. Ford City, Pa. / Armstrong
Grace Hayes Geneva OH Sr. Westminster, Md. / Westminster
Olivia Test Geneva MH Sr. Negley, Ohio / Heartland Christian
Laura Buchanan Grove City OH So. North Huntingdon, Pa. / Norwin
Marisa O'Dell Saint Vincent S So. Vienna, Ohio / Mathews
Rachel Bronner Thomas More LIB Jr. Reading, Ohio / Mount Notre Dame
Paige Noday Thomas More OH Sr. Cincinnati, Ohio / McNicholas
Madison Lydic W&J MH So. Erie, Pa. / Fort LeBoeuf
 
2016 All-PAC Honorable Mention
Name School Position Year Hometown / High School
Sumayyah Muhammad Bethany MH Jr. Warren, Ohio / Warren G. Harding
Erica Hughes Geneva OH Jr. North Jackson, Ohio / Jackson-Milton
Alaina Lytle Geneva S Fr. Warren, Ohio / Lakeview
Emma Hartshorn Grove City S Fr. Canfield, Ohio / Canfield
Jamie Robatisin Grove City OH Jr. Wexford, Pa. / North Allegheny
Emily Vaughan Saint Vincent OH Sr. Fleetwood, Pa. / Brandywine Heights
Sarah Wozniak Saint Vincent MH Fr. Uniontown, Pa. / Uniontown
Megan Sweeny Thiel LIB Jr. Freeport, Pa. / Freeport Area
Abby Eich W&J MB So. Greencastle, Pa. / St. Maria Goretti (Md.)
Kendall Dickson Westminster OH Jr. Cochranton, Pa. / Cochranton
Megan Little Westminster LIB Sr. Slippery Rock, Pa. / Slippery Rock
Katie Pricener Westminster OH Sr. Wilmerding, Pa. / Serra Catholic