Ball State University Athletics
Volleyball Sees Three Honored by AVCA in Midwest Region Awards
December 07, 2021 | Women's Volleyball
LEXINGTON, Ky. - - Members of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) recognized the Ball State women's volleyball program for the most successful season in program history on Tuesday (Dec. 7) with three Midwest Region awards.
The highest honor went to head coach Kelli Miller Phillips who was named the Midwest Region Coach of the Year. She is the first coach in the 50-year history of the program to be named an AVCA region coach of the year.
In addition, two student-athletes were rewarded for their play over the course of the season with freshman setter Megan Wielonski earning All-Midwest Region honors, while junior middle Marie Plitt was named to the All-Midwest Region Honorable Mention squad.
The pair are the first Ball State players to earn all-region honors since middle Hayley Benson was named a 2014 All-Midwest Region Honorable Mention.
In addition, Wielonski is just the fifth player in program history to earn a spot on the top all-region list, with the last being libero Amanda McCormick and middle Rachel Refenes on the 2005 AVCA All-Mideast Region First Team. Setter Emily Sallee was named to the All-Mideast Region First Team in 2000, while outside Mindy Stanley earned All-District II First Team honors in 1995.
Phillips was named the Midwest Region Coach of the Year after leading the program to a 30-4 overall record, Mid-American Conference regular season and tournament titles, and the program's first NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship first round victory since the 1995.
The 2021 Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year, Phillips led her squad to program records for winning percentage (.882), fewest losses in a season (4), and hitting percentage in a season (.265), while tying the program record for most consecutive matches won (20). Ball State went 17-1 in Mid-American Conference play and picked up wins over a pair of Big Ten programs, including a 3-2 victory over Michigan in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Wielonski earned All-Midwest Region honors after a brilliant performance running the Ball State offense in 2021. She currently leads the nation with 1,394 assists, while her 10.81 assists-per-set average is 22nd nationally. Wielonski dished out double-digit assists in all 34 matches this season, including a career-high 64 in the MAC Volleyball Championship Match victory over Bowling Green (Nov. 24).
The 2021 MAC Freshman of the Year and a First Team All-MAC honoree, Wielonski has the Cardinals ranked 23rd nationally with a .265 attack percentage, with the team hitting .200-or-better in 32 of its 34 matches this season. In addition, she is one of the nation's top servers, with her 58 service aces ranking seventh nationally, while her 0.45 aces-per-set average is 22nd. Defensively, Wielonski averaged 2.59 digs per set and registered 16 assist/dig double-doubles.
Plitt earned All-Midwest Region Honorable Mention honors after ranking second in the MAC and 55th nationally with a .360 attack percentage. She smashed a career-high 20 kills and hit .515 (20-3-33) in the NCAA tournament victory over Michigan (Dec. 3) for her 15th match in double figures this season. She also led the Ball State offense with seven kills in the second round match up versus top-ranked and top-seeded Louisville (Dec. 4).
A 2021 First Team All-MAC selection, Plitt hit at least .500 in a match with at least 10 attempts a total of 10 times, including a career-best .706 (13-1-17) attack percentage versus Central Michigan (Nov. 5). She also led the team with 109 total blocks and a 0.84 blocks-per-set average, including at least one block in 61 matches and five-or-more on eight occasions.
The highest honor went to head coach Kelli Miller Phillips who was named the Midwest Region Coach of the Year. She is the first coach in the 50-year history of the program to be named an AVCA region coach of the year.
In addition, two student-athletes were rewarded for their play over the course of the season with freshman setter Megan Wielonski earning All-Midwest Region honors, while junior middle Marie Plitt was named to the All-Midwest Region Honorable Mention squad.
The pair are the first Ball State players to earn all-region honors since middle Hayley Benson was named a 2014 All-Midwest Region Honorable Mention.
In addition, Wielonski is just the fifth player in program history to earn a spot on the top all-region list, with the last being libero Amanda McCormick and middle Rachel Refenes on the 2005 AVCA All-Mideast Region First Team. Setter Emily Sallee was named to the All-Mideast Region First Team in 2000, while outside Mindy Stanley earned All-District II First Team honors in 1995.
Phillips was named the Midwest Region Coach of the Year after leading the program to a 30-4 overall record, Mid-American Conference regular season and tournament titles, and the program's first NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship first round victory since the 1995.
The 2021 Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year, Phillips led her squad to program records for winning percentage (.882), fewest losses in a season (4), and hitting percentage in a season (.265), while tying the program record for most consecutive matches won (20). Ball State went 17-1 in Mid-American Conference play and picked up wins over a pair of Big Ten programs, including a 3-2 victory over Michigan in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Wielonski earned All-Midwest Region honors after a brilliant performance running the Ball State offense in 2021. She currently leads the nation with 1,394 assists, while her 10.81 assists-per-set average is 22nd nationally. Wielonski dished out double-digit assists in all 34 matches this season, including a career-high 64 in the MAC Volleyball Championship Match victory over Bowling Green (Nov. 24).
The 2021 MAC Freshman of the Year and a First Team All-MAC honoree, Wielonski has the Cardinals ranked 23rd nationally with a .265 attack percentage, with the team hitting .200-or-better in 32 of its 34 matches this season. In addition, she is one of the nation's top servers, with her 58 service aces ranking seventh nationally, while her 0.45 aces-per-set average is 22nd. Defensively, Wielonski averaged 2.59 digs per set and registered 16 assist/dig double-doubles.
Plitt earned All-Midwest Region Honorable Mention honors after ranking second in the MAC and 55th nationally with a .360 attack percentage. She smashed a career-high 20 kills and hit .515 (20-3-33) in the NCAA tournament victory over Michigan (Dec. 3) for her 15th match in double figures this season. She also led the Ball State offense with seven kills in the second round match up versus top-ranked and top-seeded Louisville (Dec. 4).
A 2021 First Team All-MAC selection, Plitt hit at least .500 in a match with at least 10 attempts a total of 10 times, including a career-best .706 (13-1-17) attack percentage versus Central Michigan (Nov. 5). She also led the team with 109 total blocks and a 0.84 blocks-per-set average, including at least one block in 61 matches and five-or-more on eight occasions.
Players Mentioned
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