PAC honors women's basketball all-conference teams, award winners

PAC honors women's basketball all-conference teams, award winners

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LATROBE, Pa. (pacathletics.org)--The Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) announced its 2018-19 All-PAC Women’s Basketball teams and yearly award winners between championship tournament semifinal games Friday evening at top-seeded Saint Vincent College's Robert S. Carey Student Center. 

The all-conference teams, as well as the PAC's yearly award winners, are determined, by vote, of the league’s nine head coaches.

Thiel College senior guard Jess Vormelker (Orwell, Ohio | Grand Valley) was voted the league’s Player of the Year while Grove City College junior forward Kate Balcom (Londonderry, N.H. | Londonderry) was recognized as the PAC's Defensive Player of the Year.

Thiel freshman forward Destiny Johnson (Baltimore, Md. | Western) collected the PAC Freshman of the Year award and Chatham University first-year head coach David Saur was honored as the PAC Coach of the Year. 

Vormelker is Thiel's first player to receive the league's top award. She currently ranks 13th in NCAA Division III in made field goals (186) and 14th in made three-pointers (78). She is second among PAC counterparts, and 17th in Division III, in scoring average (20.1), while her 544 points this season rank ninth in Division III. Vormelker also ranks second in the league in blocked shots (37), third in assists (94) and free throw percentage (.817), seventh in rebounds per game (7.8) and eighth in three-point field goal percentage (.318).

Vormelker's 1,051 minutes played this season are a Division III high, while her 38.9 minutes per game average ranks second in Division III. She is currently seventh among Division III's active career leaders in made three-point field goals (246) 12th among scorers (1,669).

A four-time All-PAC honoree, this is Vormelker's first First Team All-PAC selection. She was twice named All-PAC Honorable Mention (2016, 2017) before earning Second Team All-PAC honors last season. Vormelker ranks among Thiel's all-time best in a number of statistical categories, including career made three-pointers (1st, 246), blocks (2nd, 125), points (3rd, 1,669), made field goals (4th, 564), made free throws (4th, 295), assists (5th, 236) and rebounds (5th, 780).

Vormelker was a finalist for the 2018 Jostens Trophy, a national award created by the Rotary Club of Salem (Va.) to honor the most outstanding men’s and women’s NCAA Division III basketball players of the year. The award takes into account three vital parts: basketball ability, academic prowess and community service. She was also named to the D3hoops.com Great Lakes All-Region Third Team last season. 

Balcom is Grove City's fifth-straight defensive player of the year honoree, following Lexie Arkrwright (2017-18) and Kathryn Erbelding (2015-16). She is second in the league in steals (71) and has totaled 19 blocked shots in her 26 starts for Grove City this season. Her 71 steals rank eighth among Grove City's single-season leaders while her 214 career steals rank fifth all-time in program history. Balcom is 10th in the PAC in scoring average (13.7) and ranks eighth in the league in field goal percentage (.456). She is also averaging 4.9 rebounds per game. 

Balcom has headlined Grove City's outstanding defensive effort this season, helping the league's top scoring defense limit opponents to just 55.3 points per game. She was an All-PAC Honorable Mention selection last season.

Johnson is Thiel's first freshman of the year award winner since Sue Chomos in 1994. She leads the PAC in rebounds per game (11.2) while her 291 rebounds this year rank second among Thiel's single-season leaders, one behind Cindy Bynum's program-best 292 (1985-86). The freshman's 291 rebounds also rank 19th in Division III this season. She is fifth in the PAC in blocked shots (28), tied for sixth in steals (61), seventh in field goal percentage (.465) and 11th in assists (65). Her 12.2 scoring average is tied for 13th among conference counterparts. 

Johnson has a league-leading 16 double-doubles this season, which rank 16th in Division III. 

Saur is Chatham's first coach of the year award winner. This season, the Cougars earned their first-ever first round bye after sewing up the championship tournament's number four seed with an 8-8 PAC regular season finish. The eight league victories are the most in a season since Chatham started play in the PAC in 2007-08.

PAC Women's Basketball annual awards
PAC Player of the Year: Thiel senior forward Jess Vormelker
PAC Defensive Player of the Year: Grove City junior forward Kate Balcom
PAC Freshman of the Year: Thiel freshman forward Destiny Johnson
PAC Coach of the Year: Chatham first-year head coach David Saur

2018-19 All-PAC Women's Basketball Teams
First Team
Name School Pos. Yr. Hometown | High School
Kate Balcom Grove City College F Jr. Londonderry, N.H. | Londonderry
Madison Kollar Saint Vincent College F So. Latrobe, Pa. | Greater Latrobe
Danielle Parker Washington & Jefferson College F Sr. Canonsburg, Pa. | Canon-McMillan
Katie Sieg Chatham University G Sr. Pittsburgh, Pa. | Serra Catholic
Jess Vormelker Thiel College G Sr. Orwell, Ohio | Grand Valley
 
Second Team
Name School Pos. Yr. Hometown | High School
Jess Bowen Grove City College F So. Pittsburgh, Pa. | North Hills
Maria Morgan Saint Vincent College G Sr. Renovo, Pa. | Bucktail
Andrea Orlosky Waynesburg University G So. Shelocta, Pa. | West Shamokin
Alie Seto Washington & Jefferson College F So. Allison, Pa. | Brownsville
Sammie Weiss Bethany College G Sr. Taylorstown, Pa. | McGuffey
 
Honorable Mentions
Name School Pos. Yr. Hometown | High School
Callie Ford Geneva College G Sr. New Middletown, Ohio | Springfield Local
Emily Fromknecht Westminster College F Jr. Erie, Pa. | McDowell
Lauren Gilbert Washington & Jefferson College G So. Pittsburgh, Pa. | Baldwin
Destiny Johnson Thiel College F Fr. Baltimore, Md. | Western
Ashley McClain Chatham University G Sr. Hollidaysburg, Pa. | Hollidaysburg
Jenna Lafko Saint Vincent College G So. Gibsonia, Pa. | Hampton
Monica Starre Waynesburg University G Sr. Jewett, Ohio | Carrollton
 
PAC Sportsmanship Team
Name School Pos. Yr. Hometown | High School
Taylor Large Bethany College F Sr. Hopwood, Pa. | Laurel Highlands
Maggie Soeder Chatham University F Sr. Shaler, Pa. | Shaler
Lauren Tipton Geneva College F So. Glenside, Pa. | Phil-Mont Christian Academy
McKenzie Black Grove City College G Sr. Akron, Ohio | Green
Christina Davis Saint Vincent College G Sr. Ford City, Pa. | Ford City
Danyelle Lucido Thiel College G Sr. Grove City, Pa. | Grove City
Izzy Allen Washington & Jefferson College F Fr. Canonsburg, Pa. | Canon-McMillan
Hannah Roth Waynesburg University G Sr. Butler, Pa. | Homeschooled
Ashley Russell Westminster College G So. Belle Vernon, Pa. | Belle Vernon