C-USA Release
IRVING, Texas - For the second-consecutive season at least five Lady Toppers have earned Conference USA All-Conference recognition, the league office announced on Wednesday. Earning first-team status were Rachel Anderson, Alyssa Cavanaugh and Jessica Lucas. WKU Volleyball players with second-team nods were Georgia O'Connell and Sydney Engle. In total, 14 C-USA athletes earned first-team honors and 12 more earned second-team awards. An eight-member All-Freshman team was selected as well.
This season's five honorees put WKU's Conference USA All-Conference count up to 15 in the program's three seasons in the league. Since 2010, WKU has had no less than four Lady Toppers named All-Conference selections.
WKU shares the lead of all C-USA teams with five overall selections with Southern Miss. The Lady Toppers sport the most First-Team selections again in 2016 with three.
Cavanaugh and Lucas have earned first-team honors all three seasons they have played on The Hill. Engle has earned multiple accolades as well, picking up second-team All-Conference recognition twice. Anderson was named to the All-Freshman squad during her debut season and in her sophomore campaign collected First-Team All-Conference honors. This marks the first career All-Conference recognition for O'Connell.
Leading the WKU offense in efficiency is Anderson, who sports a .403 hitting percentage. The sophomore has registered 337 kills through the regular season for the second-most on the team and averages 3.30 kills per set. Anderson has also racked up 87 blocks on the season and averages 0.87 blocks per set.
With an average of 4.35 kills per set, Cavanaugh leads the Lady Toppers and ranks second in the league. The outside hitter also leads all athletes in the nation playing her same position that have 900 or more attacks in hitting percentage at .338. Cavanaugh also tops the league with 444 kills on the season, the highest output of her three seasons on The Hill.
Lucas has been the facilitator of the high-powered Lady Topper offense, averaging 11.49 assist per set. As a team, WKU is hitting .308 on the season, which ranks second across the nation. Lucas and the Lady Topper attackers have connected extremely well as 48.3% of Lucas' sets have been put down for kills this season. The junior also contributes 1.40 kills per set, 2.69 digs per set, 0.66 blocks per set and a .392 hitting percentage.
Picking up second-team honors for the second time of her career, Engle leads the conference with 46 total service aces and a 0.45 aces per set average. The junior plays all six rotations for the Lady Toppers and has played every set this season. Engle has proven her versatility averaging 2.13 kills per set, 2.78 digs per set, 1.14 assists per set and 0.43 blocks per set.
O'Connell leads the WKU defense with 407 digs on the 2016 season. The senior averages 3.99 digs per set and in 494 reception attempts owns a .929 return rate. In the regular season finale against North Texas, O'Connell registered her 19th service ace of the season which was also the 100th of her career.
Individual awards including Coach, Player, Setter, Defensive Player and Freshman of the Year will be announced on Thursday. The Academic All-Conference team will then be announced on Friday.
Travis Hudson's squad is currently riding the second-longest win streak in the nation at 18 straight. The Lady Toppers have put together a 27-2 campaign in 2016, which included a perfect 14-0 mark in conference contests.
Conference USA Tournament action will get underway on Friday when the top-seeded Lady Toppers take on No. 8 seed UTEP in Houston. The first serve from the Tudor Fieldhouse on the campus of Rice University.
2016 CONFERENCE USA VOLLEYBALL POSTSEASON AWARDS
FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Abbi Reid, Florida Atlantic
Maja Ristic, Florida Atlantic
Allie Kellerman, Marshall
Ally Kiekover, Marshall
Amanda Chamberlain, North Texas
Holly Milam, North Texas
Sarah Bell, Southern Miss
Stephany Purdue, Southern Miss
Chelsey Harris, Rice
Madison McDaniel, Rice
Dajana Boskovic, UTSA
Rachel Anderson, WKU
Alyssa Cavanaugh, WKU
Jessica Lucas, WKU
SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Katie Hogan, FIU
Madison Hill, Marshall
Leah Mikesky, Rice
Portia Okafor, Rice
Kylie Grandy, Southern Miss
Chanel Joyce, Southern Miss
Catherine Repsher, Southern Miss
Lindsey Larson, UTEP
Sarah Villa, UTEP
Marijeta Runjic, UTSA
Sydney Engle, WKU
Georgia O'Connell, WKU
ALL-FRESHMAN
Sigourney Kame, Florida Atlantic
Madelyn Cole, Marshall
Madison Hill, Marshall
Jac'cara Walker, Marshall
Emma Eakin, North Texas
Lee Ann Cunningham, Rice
Catherine Repsher, Southern Miss
Macey Austin, UTEP
