HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – On the eve of the 2017 Great American Conference Volleyball Championships, the league held its Awards Ceremony at the Hot Springs Convention Center. Arkansas Tech’s Amanda Milnick won the Player of the Year and Setter of the Year awards. Her teammate, Lexie Johnston, claimed Freshman of the Year; Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Caitlin Cosby earned Defensive Player of the Year; Northwestern Oklahoma State’s Brooklynn Hesson garnered Newcomer of the Year and the Golden Suns’ Kristy Bayer captured Coach of the Year.
Under Bayer’s leadership, the Golden Suns completed the first perfect regular season in league history and enter the GAC Championships as one of just three undefeated teams across all three divisions of the NCAA. She scored her fourth GAC Coach of the Year honor. Milnick ranked second in the league in assists per set, third in aces per set and led with three triple doubles. Johnston led the conference as well as all NCAA Division II freshmen with a .421 attack percentage.
Hesson became the first Ranger volleyball player to earn a GAC superlative award. She helped the Rangers produce their first 20-win season as she ranked second on team in digs and aces and third in kills and points. Cosby finished the regular season leading the GAC and ranking 13th nationally in digs per set.
2017 GREAT AMERICAN CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL AWARDS
Harding’s Zoe Hardin joined Milnick and Johnston as unanimous choices for the All-GAC First Team. She helped the Lady Bisons go 25-5 as she led the conference in blocks for the third-straight year. Her teammate, setter Rachel Heussner, led the league in assists per set. Northwestern Oklahoma State’s Jennifer Eubanks ranked second in attack percentage and placed in the top 10 in kills, blocks and points. Southern Nazarene’s Bailee Turang led the GAC in kills and points while Oklahoma Baptist’s Cadyn Laing finished inside the top eight in kills, blocks and points.
The All-GAC Second Team featured a trio from Ouachita in middles Kori Bullard and Adrianna Nolly plus setter Stormi Leonard. Arkansas Tech’s Hunter Eshnaur and Allie Anderson plus Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Abby Jameson, Oklahoma Baptist’s Mikayla Watson and Northwestern Oklahoma State’s Hannah Williams all garnered Second-Team recognition.
The Honorable Mention All-GAC team consisted of Hesson, Harding’s Taylor Lake, Taylor Mounts and Emma Reeves; Southwestern Oklahoma State’s Kaitlyn Dillon and DeLayni Fine; Arkansas Tech’s Madison Nagel and Greer Rogers, Arkansas-Monticello’s Maggie Pyles, Henderson State’s Sydney Skelton, Southern Arkansas’ Alli O’Banion and Southern Nazarene’s Kylie Smith.
The GAC also announced in Elite and Distinguished Scholar Athlete awards. Tech’s Eshnaur, Harding’s Heussner, Ouachita’s Bullard, plus Harding’s Taylor Eubank, Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Alissa Benson and SWOSU’s Danusia Sipa Borgeaud all earned the Elite Scholar Award as all six own perfect 4.00 GPAs.
Arkansas Tech’s Meredith Darnell, Alyssa Kool, Marisa Drevenak, Harding’s Madison Poen, Northwestern Oklahoma State’s Elizabeth Dwyer, Southern Nazarene’s - Addi Floyd and SWOSU’s Klemson Lancaster joined Harding’s Reeves and Ouachita’s Leonard as Distinguished Scholar Athletes.
The 2017 GAC Championships begin at noon on Thursday when Ouachita faces Oklahoma Baptist, followed by Harding and Southwestern Oklahoma State, set for a 2:30 p.m. start time. Arkansas Tech opens with Southeastern Oklahoma State at 5 p.m. and day one concludes with Northwestern Oklahoma State and Southern Nazarene at 7:30 p.m. The GAC Sports Network will stream all GAC Championship matches at
GACSportsNetwork.com.