Ball State University Athletics
Coach and Freshman of the Year Honors Highlight Volleyball’s MAC Awards
November 20, 2021 | Women's Volleyball
CLEVELAND, Ohio - - The Ball State women's volleyball program was heavily rewarded for its run to the Mid-American Conference regular season title, claiming four All-MAC First Team honors, MAC Freshman of the Year, and MAC Coach of the Year.
"I'm very proud of our MAC award winners," head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said. "They each bring so many great qualities to our gym. They are coachable, hard-working, and great teammates who would do anything to help our program be successful. I know they still have a lot of hunger inside of them and their best play this year is yet to come."
The awards were voted on by the league's 12 head coaches and announced Saturday morning (Nov. 20) by the conference office in advance of the MAC Volleyball Championship which will be played Nov. 21, 22 & 24 inside Worthen Arena. The MAC postseason awards are based solely on performance in league play.
Highlighting the list for Ball State is setter Megan Wielonski who became just the fourth player in program history to earn MAC Freshman of the Year honors. She was also named to the All-MAC First Team and MAC All-Freshman squads.
Joining Wielonski on the All-MAC First Team were junior middle Marie Plitt, junior opposite Natalie Mitchem and graduate transfer Jaclyn Bulmahn. The four first team awards raise Ball State's all-time total to 106 selections, including 55 first team nods. Both totals rank second all-time in MAC history.
In addition, Ball State women's volleyball head coach Kelli Miller Phillips was named the MAC Coach of the Year after leading the program to a 17-1 league mark and to the program's ninth MAC Regular Season title. Ball State also collected its fourth MAC West Division Championship in Phillips six seasons at the helm.
"It's a great honor to be named MAC Coach of the Year," Phillips said. "I am truly blessed to be surrounded by the best staff and I could not do any of this without them. Their support, loyalty, hard work, love for the game and our players is remarkable and I'm so grateful to them!"
Phillips is the third coach in program history to earn MAC Coach of the Year honors, joining five-time selection Randy Litchfield (1991, 1993, 1994, 1999 and 2002) and Steve Shondell (2010).
MEGAN WIELONSKI - MAC Freshman of the Year / First Team All-MAC / MAC All-Freshman Team:
Wielonski played in all 66 league sets, helping Ball State's offense lead the league with a .294 attack percentage, .030 higher than any other MAC program … She was a four-time MAC West Division Setter of the Week selection … hand out 738 assists for an 11.18 assists-per-set average … dished out at least 30 assists in all 18 MAC matches … led the MAC with 31 service aces, with at least one ace in 12 contests … recorded nine assist/dig double-doubles in MAC play … smashed at least one kill in all 18 league matches, including a career-high seven vs. Ohio (Sept. 30) … collected 23 total blocks against league foes, with at least one block 12 times.
MARIE PLITT - First Team All-MAC:
A 2019 MAC All-Freshman Team selection, Plitt ranked second in MAC play with a .367 attack percentage … she played in all 66 sets and hit .400-or-better in seven league matches, including a career-best .706 (13-1-17) mark vs. CMU (Nov. 12) … she registered no attack errors in five league matches, while posting just one in five others … she blasted double-digit kills in eight MAC matches, including four of the last five, and tallied a career-high 18 kills at Buffalo (Oct. 9) … she averaged 2.55 kills per set … she was also second on the squad with 53 total blocks in mAC play for a 0.80 blocks-per-set average … she secured at least one blocks in 17 of BSU's 18 MAC matches, with 3-or-more 11 times.
NATALIE MITCHEM - First Team All-MAC:
A two-time MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week, Mitchem ranked ninth in the MAC with a .318 attack percentage … she played in all 66 sets and hit .400-or-better in six league matches, including a career-best .714 (15-0-21) mark versus Miami (Oct. 30) … she finished league play second on the squad with a 2.89 kills-per-set average … she smashed double-digit kills in 11 MAC matches, including five of BSU's last six outings … she also tied. her career-high with 21 kills versus Toledo (Oct. 19) … at the net, she averaged 0.76 blocks-per-set average in MAC play, with at least one block in 17 league matches and three-or-more on nine occasions.
JACLYN BULMAHN - First Team All-MAC:
A two-time MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week, Bulmahn led the Ball State offense and ranked 11th in the league with a 3.22 kills-per-set average … she played in 63 of BSU's 66 MAC sets and blasted double-digit kills in 11 MAC matches, including a BSU career-high and match-best 20 at Eastern Michigan (Nov. 12) … added 19 kills in BSU's MAC regular season championship clinching win at EMU (Nov. 13) … she also hit .238 in league play, with a .300-or-better mark in five matches including a season-best .600 (19-1-30) at Kent State (Sept. 25) … tallied 17 digs and 15 total blocks in league play.
2021 MAC Volleyball Postseason Awards
Coach of the Year: Kelli Miller Phillips, Ball State
Player of the Year: Petra Indrova, Bowling Green, Jr., Outside Hitter
Defensive Player of the Year: Julia Walz, Bowling Green, Sr., Defensive Specialist
Freshman of the Year: Megan Wielonski, Ball State, Fr., Setter
Setter of the Year: Logan Case, Western Michigan, So., Setter
All-MAC First Team
Jaclyn Bulmahn, Ball State, Gr., Outside Hitter
Natalie Mitchem, Ball State, Jr., Outside Hitter
Marie Plitt, Ball State, Jr., Middle Blocker
Megan Wielonski, Ball State, Fr. Setter
Petra Indrova, Bowling Green, Jr., Outside Hitter
Katelyn Meyer, Bowling Green, Sr., Outside Hitter
Julia Walz, Bowling Green, Sr., Defensive Specialist
Savannah Thompson, Central Michigan, Sr., Outside Hitter
Raeven Chase, Eastern Michigan, R-So., Middle Blocker
Caroline Clippard, Ohio, Fr., Outside Hitter
Maggie Nedoma, Ohio, 5th-Sr., Opposite Hitter
Taylor Alt, Toledo, So., Outside Hitter
Logan Case, Western Michigan, So., Setter
Maggie King, Western Michigan, Jr., Outside Hitter
All-MAC Second Team
Alexis Adleta, Akron, Gr., Outside Hitter
Hanna Laube, Bowling Green, Sr., Setter
Lisbeth Rosario-Martinez, Central Michigan, Sr., Middle Blocker
Samantha Basham, Eastern Michigan, So., Outside Hitter
Katie Jablonski, Northern Illinois, Jr., Outside Hitter
Sam Steele, Ohio, So., Defensive Specialist
Sina Uluave, Toledo, Jr., Outside Hitter
All-Freshman Team
Megan Wielonski, Ball State, Setter
Kat Mandly, Bowling Green, Outside Hitter
Aly Gurtiza, Central Michigan, Defensive Specialist
Charlie Atiemo, Northern Illinois, Middle Blocker
Francesca Bertucci, Northern Illinois, Defensive Specialist
Caroline Clippard, Ohio, Outside Hitter
Elaine Redman, Toledo, Setter
"I'm very proud of our MAC award winners," head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said. "They each bring so many great qualities to our gym. They are coachable, hard-working, and great teammates who would do anything to help our program be successful. I know they still have a lot of hunger inside of them and their best play this year is yet to come."
The awards were voted on by the league's 12 head coaches and announced Saturday morning (Nov. 20) by the conference office in advance of the MAC Volleyball Championship which will be played Nov. 21, 22 & 24 inside Worthen Arena. The MAC postseason awards are based solely on performance in league play.
Highlighting the list for Ball State is setter Megan Wielonski who became just the fourth player in program history to earn MAC Freshman of the Year honors. She was also named to the All-MAC First Team and MAC All-Freshman squads.
Joining Wielonski on the All-MAC First Team were junior middle Marie Plitt, junior opposite Natalie Mitchem and graduate transfer Jaclyn Bulmahn. The four first team awards raise Ball State's all-time total to 106 selections, including 55 first team nods. Both totals rank second all-time in MAC history.
In addition, Ball State women's volleyball head coach Kelli Miller Phillips was named the MAC Coach of the Year after leading the program to a 17-1 league mark and to the program's ninth MAC Regular Season title. Ball State also collected its fourth MAC West Division Championship in Phillips six seasons at the helm.
"It's a great honor to be named MAC Coach of the Year," Phillips said. "I am truly blessed to be surrounded by the best staff and I could not do any of this without them. Their support, loyalty, hard work, love for the game and our players is remarkable and I'm so grateful to them!"
Phillips is the third coach in program history to earn MAC Coach of the Year honors, joining five-time selection Randy Litchfield (1991, 1993, 1994, 1999 and 2002) and Steve Shondell (2010).
MEGAN WIELONSKI - MAC Freshman of the Year / First Team All-MAC / MAC All-Freshman Team:
Wielonski played in all 66 league sets, helping Ball State's offense lead the league with a .294 attack percentage, .030 higher than any other MAC program … She was a four-time MAC West Division Setter of the Week selection … hand out 738 assists for an 11.18 assists-per-set average … dished out at least 30 assists in all 18 MAC matches … led the MAC with 31 service aces, with at least one ace in 12 contests … recorded nine assist/dig double-doubles in MAC play … smashed at least one kill in all 18 league matches, including a career-high seven vs. Ohio (Sept. 30) … collected 23 total blocks against league foes, with at least one block 12 times.
MARIE PLITT - First Team All-MAC:
A 2019 MAC All-Freshman Team selection, Plitt ranked second in MAC play with a .367 attack percentage … she played in all 66 sets and hit .400-or-better in seven league matches, including a career-best .706 (13-1-17) mark vs. CMU (Nov. 12) … she registered no attack errors in five league matches, while posting just one in five others … she blasted double-digit kills in eight MAC matches, including four of the last five, and tallied a career-high 18 kills at Buffalo (Oct. 9) … she averaged 2.55 kills per set … she was also second on the squad with 53 total blocks in mAC play for a 0.80 blocks-per-set average … she secured at least one blocks in 17 of BSU's 18 MAC matches, with 3-or-more 11 times.
NATALIE MITCHEM - First Team All-MAC:
A two-time MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week, Mitchem ranked ninth in the MAC with a .318 attack percentage … she played in all 66 sets and hit .400-or-better in six league matches, including a career-best .714 (15-0-21) mark versus Miami (Oct. 30) … she finished league play second on the squad with a 2.89 kills-per-set average … she smashed double-digit kills in 11 MAC matches, including five of BSU's last six outings … she also tied. her career-high with 21 kills versus Toledo (Oct. 19) … at the net, she averaged 0.76 blocks-per-set average in MAC play, with at least one block in 17 league matches and three-or-more on nine occasions.
JACLYN BULMAHN - First Team All-MAC:
A two-time MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week, Bulmahn led the Ball State offense and ranked 11th in the league with a 3.22 kills-per-set average … she played in 63 of BSU's 66 MAC sets and blasted double-digit kills in 11 MAC matches, including a BSU career-high and match-best 20 at Eastern Michigan (Nov. 12) … added 19 kills in BSU's MAC regular season championship clinching win at EMU (Nov. 13) … she also hit .238 in league play, with a .300-or-better mark in five matches including a season-best .600 (19-1-30) at Kent State (Sept. 25) … tallied 17 digs and 15 total blocks in league play.
2021 MAC Volleyball Postseason Awards
Coach of the Year: Kelli Miller Phillips, Ball State
Player of the Year: Petra Indrova, Bowling Green, Jr., Outside Hitter
Defensive Player of the Year: Julia Walz, Bowling Green, Sr., Defensive Specialist
Freshman of the Year: Megan Wielonski, Ball State, Fr., Setter
Setter of the Year: Logan Case, Western Michigan, So., Setter
All-MAC First Team
Jaclyn Bulmahn, Ball State, Gr., Outside Hitter
Natalie Mitchem, Ball State, Jr., Outside Hitter
Marie Plitt, Ball State, Jr., Middle Blocker
Megan Wielonski, Ball State, Fr. Setter
Petra Indrova, Bowling Green, Jr., Outside Hitter
Katelyn Meyer, Bowling Green, Sr., Outside Hitter
Julia Walz, Bowling Green, Sr., Defensive Specialist
Savannah Thompson, Central Michigan, Sr., Outside Hitter
Raeven Chase, Eastern Michigan, R-So., Middle Blocker
Caroline Clippard, Ohio, Fr., Outside Hitter
Maggie Nedoma, Ohio, 5th-Sr., Opposite Hitter
Taylor Alt, Toledo, So., Outside Hitter
Logan Case, Western Michigan, So., Setter
Maggie King, Western Michigan, Jr., Outside Hitter
All-MAC Second Team
Alexis Adleta, Akron, Gr., Outside Hitter
Hanna Laube, Bowling Green, Sr., Setter
Lisbeth Rosario-Martinez, Central Michigan, Sr., Middle Blocker
Samantha Basham, Eastern Michigan, So., Outside Hitter
Katie Jablonski, Northern Illinois, Jr., Outside Hitter
Sam Steele, Ohio, So., Defensive Specialist
Sina Uluave, Toledo, Jr., Outside Hitter
All-Freshman Team
Megan Wielonski, Ball State, Setter
Kat Mandly, Bowling Green, Outside Hitter
Aly Gurtiza, Central Michigan, Defensive Specialist
Charlie Atiemo, Northern Illinois, Middle Blocker
Francesca Bertucci, Northern Illinois, Defensive Specialist
Caroline Clippard, Ohio, Outside Hitter
Elaine Redman, Toledo, Setter
Players Mentioned
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