FREDERICKSBURG, Va. - The Mary Washington trio of junior Savannah Powers, freshman Alana Harris and head coach Matt Troy swept the major awards to highlight the 2018 All-CAC Volleyball team.
Powers, an outside hitter, earned CAC Player of the Year honors to become the third Eagle to win the conference's top honor and first since 2009. Powers, who has now collected three consecutive All-CAC first team accolades and was also Rookie of the Year in 2016, is just the third player in CAC history to receive both Rookie and Player of the Year laurels throughout their career.
Harris, a middle blocker, was named Rookie of the Year for the Eagles. She joins a long list of recent UMW players to receive the award, becoming the fifth-straight Eagle to claim top rookie honors. Eight Eagles have won Rookie of the Year in the 23-year history of the award.
Troy was named Coach of the Year for the second time after guiding the Eagles to the CAC regular season title and a 20-11 overall record this fall. Troy also received the award in 2016.
CAC champion Christopher Newport led the all-conference squad with a CAC-best four honorees. Junior middle blocker Riley Garrison collected her third-straight All-CAC nod, landing on the first team for the first time in her career. Junior outside hitter Katie Piper was named a first-teamer for the second year in a row. Senior defensive specialist Josie Lucernoni received back-to-back second team honors while sophomore right side hitter Megan O'Hara was also named to the second team for CNU.
Joining Powers on the All-CAC first team for Mary Washington was senior outside hitter Leslie Walters. Walters has now secured three-straight all-star awards, elevating to the first team for the first time this fall. She was also the conference Rookie of the Year in 2015. Senior libero Ryan Cho was named to the All-CAC second team for the Eagles.
Semifinalists Salisbury and York each received a trio of all-star nods. Salisbury senior outside hitter Nicole Venturelli closed out her career as a three-time All-CAC selection, earning first-team honors for the second straight season. Senior OPP Carley Cleland also landed on the first team for the Sea Gulls, while junior defensive specialist Hailey Dougherty represented SU on the second team.
York senior libero Alexis Harbold headlined the Spartans' trio of all-stars as a first-team selection. Harbold was a second-teamer in 2017. Senior outside hitter Brooke Krebs and junior middle hitter Madyson Whitcomb received second team accolades for York.
Southern Virginia, St. Mary's and Frostburg State each had one player receive all-conference recognition. SVU senior setter LaRee Crockett was a first-team honoree while St. Mary's senior libero Marissa Dangler and Frostburg State junior outside hitter Biamba Tshitenge nabbed second-team honors.
2018 CAC Player of the Year: Savannah Powers, Mary Washington 2018 All-CAC Volleyball First Team
2018 All-CAC Volleyball Second Team
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