After a strong season that saw them return to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Championships, the Wheeling University Volleyball team now heads into the offseason as they look to build towards 2023. On Wednesday, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) began their annual postseason awards release with the release of their AVCA All-Region Team. Four different Cardinals landed on the list, with Karly Niesen, Tylah Yeomans, and Allonda Watkins all making first team and Mady Winters earning Honorable Mention.
Each of the four players made a big impact on this season's team, as they made the run back to the national stage. After a tough non-conference schedule to start the year, the Cardinals hit conference play running, going 15-1 through their 16-game schedule. They entered the Mountain East Conference (MEC) tournament as the #1 seed from the MEC North Division and earned their 10th MEC Championship in program history. They would then earn the #3 seed in the Atlantic Regional Tournament and, although they weren't hosting, they headed to Erie, Pennsylvania, to start the tournament. Round one saw the Cardinals defeat IUP 3-0 before falling in the semifinals to Clarion 3-1 to end their season.
Leading the list of honorees was setter Karly Niesen, who was the catalyst to one of the hardest hitting offenses in the MEC this season. She helped lead her team to an MEC best .293 hitting percentage, outhitting the next closest team by 45 points. Niesen finished the year with 1413 assists, sitting third in NCAA Division II and second in the MEC during the regular season. Niesen has played a big part in the team's success and finds her way on the AVCA All-Region team for the second consecutive season.
Two of her strongest hitters were next on the list, led by redshirt senior Allonda Watkins, who earned her first ever AVCA All-Region honor. Watkins had a breakout year as outside hitter for the Cardinals, setting new career-highs in both kills (400) and hitting percentage (.400). She finished her collegiate career just 30 kills away from the 1,000-kill mark and stepped up when her team needed her the most in the postseason. In five postseason matches, Watkins totaled 75 kills and a hitting percentage of .492. Watkins has been in the postseason every year since joining the team back in 2018 and capped off a strong career with her best season yet.
The final first team All-Region honoree for the Cardinals was outside hitter Tylah Yeomans, who led the Cardinal's offensive attack while setting new career-highs in almost every offensive category. She led the Cardinals with 447 kills this season while leading the entire MEC. She also set new career highs in total attacks (1148), hitting percentage (.289), and kills per set (3.85). Yeomans is also taking home her first AVCA All-Region award as all her hard work in the offseason begins to pay off.
The last Cardinal to be honored was sophomore Mady Winters, who took home her second AVCA All-Region Award, earning Honorable Mention. While Winters wasn't as electric as she was in her freshman year, she still had a strong 2022 campaign, finishing with 275 kills and .371 hitting percentage. However, it was her defensive game that saw the most improvement as she finished fifth in the MEC with 128 total blocks and third with 113 solo blocks. Winters has proven to be an anchor for the team moving forward and is a big presence in the middle of the court.
The Wheeling University Volleyball team now heads into the offseason as they prepare for another run towards the MEC Tournament and the NCAA DII Atlantic Regional Championship in 2023.
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