Taylor Ends Career as First-Teamer, Three Others Earn Honorable Mentions
William Penn Women’s Athletics
Oskaloosa–Four Lady Statesmen volleyball stars received postseason recognition for strong play this fall as the 2012 all-Midwest Collegiate Conference teams were announced Thursday.
Outside hitter Lacey Taylor (Sr., Cedar, Elementary Education) was one of 14 players to be named to the first team, while setter Dayna Sammons (So., Menomonee Falls, Wis., Software Engineering), outside hitter Katie Rielly (Sr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Digital Communications), middle hitter Jeanette Cunningham (Jr., Mt. Orab, Ohio, Elementary Education), and libero Danielle Breeher (Fr., St. Louis, Mo., Undecided) were part of the 14-player honorable-mention squad.
The foursome guided William Penn to a 28-15 record (3-3 MCC) this fall. The team’s 28 wins were the third-most all-time and were the most since 1985. The five honorees tie for the school record (2004, 2010).
Taylor, a three-time weekly honoree (two player, one hitter), collected her second first-team laurel by leading the team in kills (506), hitting percentage (.281), and aces (77) in addition to 525 digs and 52 blocks (nine solos, 43 assists). She broke the school’s single-season record for both kills and aces.
The senior led the MCC in total aces, ranked third in total kills, sixth in total digs, and seventh in attack percentage. Taylor recorded 22 double-doubles (kills and digs) and notched a season-best 19 kills three times.
She ends her career ranked third at WPU with a .304 attack percentage, fifth with 941 kills, eighth with 2,221 total attacks, and ninth with 118 aces.
Sammons was named MCC Setter of the Week once, helping her to her first postseason accolade. The sophomore managed 1,221 assists (8.91 per game) alongside 80 kills (.268 attack percentage), 68 aces, 418 digs, and 26 blocks (six solos, 20 assists). Her ace tally was the fifth highest in program history, while she also had the sixth-most assists.
The setter ranked second in the league in both total assists and total aces. She recorded a career-high 60 assists against Northwestern Ohio on October 19. Her numbers could have been even higher, but a late-season injury kept her off the court for six matches.
Rielly collected her first honor by managing 403 kills (.189 attack percentage) in addition to 15 assists, 50 aces, 396 digs, and 55 blocks (13 solos, 42 assists). She ranked fourth in the conference in total aces and seventh in total kills.
The senior tallied eight double-doubles (kills, digs) and highlighted her campaign with a career-high 22-kill performance against Avila on August 25. Rielly leaves WPU ranked tenth all-time with 2,006 total attacks.
Cunningham finished the fall with 313 kills (.268 attack percentage), nine assists, five aces, and 59 digs. The team’s top blocker, she guided the navy and gold with 97 blocks (30 solos, 67 assists). Her 14 winners against Mount Mercy on October 31 was a career high. She also ranked ninth in the league in attack percentage.
Breeher, a one-time weekly honoree, concluded her freshman year with a team and MCC-best 690 digs, including reaching double digits in 36 of 43 matches. The libero produced two kills, 131 assists, and 20 aces in 2012.
Alicia Olson of Viterbo was named MCC Player of the Year, while teammates Stacie Hoffman and Jordan Blaken were named Setter and Libero of the Year, respectively. Newcomer of the Year accolades went to Grand View’s Kelley Johnson. Ryan DeLong of Viterbo was awarded the Coach of the Year award. The awards were the third for Blaken and the second for DeLong.
