Ball State University Athletics
Coach, Setter Of The Year Highlight Volleyball's MAC Awards
November 19, 2022 | Women's Volleyball
CLEVELAND, Ohio - - The Ball State women's volleyball program was heavily rewarded for its second consecutive Mid-American Conference regular season title, claiming four All-MAC honors, MAC Setter of the Year, and MAC Coach of the Year.
The awards were voted on by the league's 12 head coaches and announced Saturday morning (Nov. 19) by the conference office in advance of the MAC Volleyball Championship which will be played Nov. 20-22 inside Worthen Arena. The MAC postseason awards are based solely on performance in league play.
Highlighting the list for Ball State is sophomore setter Megan Wielonski who became just the second player in program history to earn MAC Setter of the Year honors, joining 2018 honoree Amber Seamen. Wielonski, the 2021 MAC Freshman of the Year, was named to the All-MAC First Team for the second consecutive season.
Joining Wielonski on the All-MAC First Team were senior middle Marie Plitt and junior outside Cait Snyder. In addition, senior opposite Natalie Mitchem earned All-MAC Second Team accolades. Plitt also earns first team honor for the second straight season, while Snyder is a first-time honoree, and Mitchem was named to the first team a year ago.
The four All-MAC awards raise Ball State's all-time total to 110 selections, including 58 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 for the second straight season after leading the program to a 15-3 league mark and the program's 10th MAC regular season title. Ball State also collected its fifth MAC West Division Championship in Phillips' seven seasons at the helm.
MAC COACH OF THE YEAR: Kelli Miller Phillips
Phillips is the second coach in program history to earn MAC Coach of the Year honors multiple times, joining five-time selection Randy Litchfield (1991, 1993, 1994, 1999 and 2002). Steve Shondell was also named MAC Coach of the Year in his first season at the helm of the program in 2010.
MAC SETTER OF THE YEAR / ALL-MAC FIRST TEAM: Megan Wielonski
A three-time MAC West Division Setter of the Week during the 2022 league season, Megan Wielonski had the Ball State offense leading the league with a .265 attack percentage in conference play … She averaged 11.26 assists-per set and collected 11 assist/dig double-doubles in MAC matches … She is also one of the league's top servers, tying for second with 25 aces in #MACtion … In the backcourt, Wielonski ranked second on the squad in MAC play with a 3.12 digs-per-set average … She has connected for 42 kills and 18 total blocks against league foes.
ALL-MAC FIRST TEAM: Marie Plitt
Marie Plitt led all Mid-American Conference players with a .426 attack percentage in league play, including hitting .350-or-better in 12 MAC matches … She smashed a season-high 17 kills in BSU's win at Ohio (Nov. 12), while tallying double-digit kills in 10 conference matches … Her best hitting mark came in the second match at NIU (Oct. 15), when she hit .727 (8-0-11), helping the Cardinals earn a sweep over the Huskies … She also tallied 42 total blocks in league play, helping Ball State limit opposing offenses to a .184 attack percentage.
ALL-MAC FIRST TEAM: Cait Snyder
Cait Snyder led the Ball State offense and ranked third among all MAC players with a 3.49 kills-per-set average in conference play … She smashed double-digit kills in 13 conference matches, including a career-high 19 in the four-set win at Toledo (Oct. 19) … Snyder also tallied 18 kills in four-set wins over Buffalo (Oct. 8) and versus Western Michigan (Oct. 21) … She has hit .300-or-better in five league matches, including a .545 (13-1-22) mark versus Eastern Michigan (Sept. 30) and a .450 (12-3-20) rate of success versus Kent State (Nov. 4).
ALL-MAC SECOND TEAM: Natalie Mitchem
Natalie Mitchem finished MAC play ranked third on the squad in both attack percentage (.281) and kills-per-set average (2.58) … She smashed double-digit kills in eight of Ball State's 18 league matches, including a season-high 18 kills in BSU's four-set win over Western Michigan (Oct. 22) … She hit .300-or-better in nine MAC contests, including a .524 (11-0-21) effort at Miami (Oct. 29) … Mitchem also ranked third on the squad in #MACtion with a 0.53 blocks-per-set average, including a season-high seven total blocks (one solo and six assists) in the sweep at NIU (Oct. 15).
2022 MAC Volleyball All-MAC Teams & Specialty Award Winners
Coach of the Year: Kelli Miller Phillips, Ball State
Player of the Year: Petra Indrova, Senior, Outside Hitter, Bowling Green
Defensive Player of the Year: Francesca Bertucci, Sophomore, Libero, Northern Illinois
Freshman of the Year: Lauryn Hovey, Outside Hitter, Bowling Green
Setter of the Year: Megan Wielonski, Sophomore, Ball State
All-MAC First Team
Marie Plitt, Senior, Middle Blocker, Ball State
Megan Wielonski, Sophomore, Setter, Ball State
Cait Snyder, Junior, Outside Hitter, Ball State
Petra Indrova, Senior, Outside Hitter, Bowling Green
Lauryn Hovey, Freshman, Outside Hitter, Bowling Green
Mandy Leigh, Sophomore, Setter, Buffalo
Mallory Hernandez, Senior, Outside Hitter, Central Michigan
Claire Ammeraal, Freshman, Setter, Central Michigan
Raeven Chase, Fifth Year, Middle Blocker, Eastern Michigan
Caroline Clippard, Sophomore, Outside Hitter, Ohio
Caitlin O'Farrell, Senior, Middle Blocker, Ohio
Taylor Alt, Junior, Outside Hitter, Toledo
Logan Case, Western Michigan
Maggie King, Western Michigan
All-MAC Second Team
Natalie Mitchem, Opposite Hitter, Ball State
Jessica Andrews, Freshman, Middle Blocker, Bowling Green
Abby Leigh, Senior, Middle Blocker, Buffalo
Courtney Okwara, Senior, Middle Blocker, Buffalo
Aly Gurtiza, Sophomore, Libero, Central Michigan
Francesca Bertucci, Sophomore, Libero, Northern Illinois
Charli Atiemo, Sophomore, Middle Blocker, Northern Illinois
All-Freshman Team
Lauryn Hovey, Outside Hitter Bowling Green
Jessica Andrews, Middle Blocker, Bowling Green
Claire Ammeraal, Setter, Central Michigan
Natalia Rejment, Outside Hitter, Central Michigan
Mackenzie McGuire, Outside Hitter, Kent State
Mia Sorensen, Right Side Hitter, Kent State
Anna Kharchynska, Opposite Hitter, Ohio
The awards were voted on by the league's 12 head coaches and announced Saturday morning (Nov. 19) by the conference office in advance of the MAC Volleyball Championship which will be played Nov. 20-22 inside Worthen Arena. The MAC postseason awards are based solely on performance in league play.
Highlighting the list for Ball State is sophomore setter Megan Wielonski who became just the second player in program history to earn MAC Setter of the Year honors, joining 2018 honoree Amber Seamen. Wielonski, the 2021 MAC Freshman of the Year, was named to the All-MAC First Team for the second consecutive season.
Joining Wielonski on the All-MAC First Team were senior middle Marie Plitt and junior outside Cait Snyder. In addition, senior opposite Natalie Mitchem earned All-MAC Second Team accolades. Plitt also earns first team honor for the second straight season, while Snyder is a first-time honoree, and Mitchem was named to the first team a year ago.
The four All-MAC awards raise Ball State's all-time total to 110 selections, including 58 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 for the second straight season after leading the program to a 15-3 league mark and the program's 10th MAC regular season title. Ball State also collected its fifth MAC West Division Championship in Phillips' seven seasons at the helm.
MAC COACH OF THE YEAR: Kelli Miller Phillips
Phillips is the second coach in program history to earn MAC Coach of the Year honors multiple times, joining five-time selection Randy Litchfield (1991, 1993, 1994, 1999 and 2002). Steve Shondell was also named MAC Coach of the Year in his first season at the helm of the program in 2010.
MAC SETTER OF THE YEAR / ALL-MAC FIRST TEAM: Megan Wielonski
A three-time MAC West Division Setter of the Week during the 2022 league season, Megan Wielonski had the Ball State offense leading the league with a .265 attack percentage in conference play … She averaged 11.26 assists-per set and collected 11 assist/dig double-doubles in MAC matches … She is also one of the league's top servers, tying for second with 25 aces in #MACtion … In the backcourt, Wielonski ranked second on the squad in MAC play with a 3.12 digs-per-set average … She has connected for 42 kills and 18 total blocks against league foes.
ALL-MAC FIRST TEAM: Marie Plitt
Marie Plitt led all Mid-American Conference players with a .426 attack percentage in league play, including hitting .350-or-better in 12 MAC matches … She smashed a season-high 17 kills in BSU's win at Ohio (Nov. 12), while tallying double-digit kills in 10 conference matches … Her best hitting mark came in the second match at NIU (Oct. 15), when she hit .727 (8-0-11), helping the Cardinals earn a sweep over the Huskies … She also tallied 42 total blocks in league play, helping Ball State limit opposing offenses to a .184 attack percentage.
ALL-MAC FIRST TEAM: Cait Snyder
Cait Snyder led the Ball State offense and ranked third among all MAC players with a 3.49 kills-per-set average in conference play … She smashed double-digit kills in 13 conference matches, including a career-high 19 in the four-set win at Toledo (Oct. 19) … Snyder also tallied 18 kills in four-set wins over Buffalo (Oct. 8) and versus Western Michigan (Oct. 21) … She has hit .300-or-better in five league matches, including a .545 (13-1-22) mark versus Eastern Michigan (Sept. 30) and a .450 (12-3-20) rate of success versus Kent State (Nov. 4).
ALL-MAC SECOND TEAM: Natalie Mitchem
Natalie Mitchem finished MAC play ranked third on the squad in both attack percentage (.281) and kills-per-set average (2.58) … She smashed double-digit kills in eight of Ball State's 18 league matches, including a season-high 18 kills in BSU's four-set win over Western Michigan (Oct. 22) … She hit .300-or-better in nine MAC contests, including a .524 (11-0-21) effort at Miami (Oct. 29) … Mitchem also ranked third on the squad in #MACtion with a 0.53 blocks-per-set average, including a season-high seven total blocks (one solo and six assists) in the sweep at NIU (Oct. 15).
2022 MAC Volleyball All-MAC Teams & Specialty Award Winners
Coach of the Year: Kelli Miller Phillips, Ball State
Player of the Year: Petra Indrova, Senior, Outside Hitter, Bowling Green
Defensive Player of the Year: Francesca Bertucci, Sophomore, Libero, Northern Illinois
Freshman of the Year: Lauryn Hovey, Outside Hitter, Bowling Green
Setter of the Year: Megan Wielonski, Sophomore, Ball State
All-MAC First Team
Marie Plitt, Senior, Middle Blocker, Ball State
Megan Wielonski, Sophomore, Setter, Ball State
Cait Snyder, Junior, Outside Hitter, Ball State
Petra Indrova, Senior, Outside Hitter, Bowling Green
Lauryn Hovey, Freshman, Outside Hitter, Bowling Green
Mandy Leigh, Sophomore, Setter, Buffalo
Mallory Hernandez, Senior, Outside Hitter, Central Michigan
Claire Ammeraal, Freshman, Setter, Central Michigan
Raeven Chase, Fifth Year, Middle Blocker, Eastern Michigan
Caroline Clippard, Sophomore, Outside Hitter, Ohio
Caitlin O'Farrell, Senior, Middle Blocker, Ohio
Taylor Alt, Junior, Outside Hitter, Toledo
Logan Case, Western Michigan
Maggie King, Western Michigan
All-MAC Second Team
Natalie Mitchem, Opposite Hitter, Ball State
Jessica Andrews, Freshman, Middle Blocker, Bowling Green
Abby Leigh, Senior, Middle Blocker, Buffalo
Courtney Okwara, Senior, Middle Blocker, Buffalo
Aly Gurtiza, Sophomore, Libero, Central Michigan
Francesca Bertucci, Sophomore, Libero, Northern Illinois
Charli Atiemo, Sophomore, Middle Blocker, Northern Illinois
All-Freshman Team
Lauryn Hovey, Outside Hitter Bowling Green
Jessica Andrews, Middle Blocker, Bowling Green
Claire Ammeraal, Setter, Central Michigan
Natalia Rejment, Outside Hitter, Central Michigan
Mackenzie McGuire, Outside Hitter, Kent State
Mia Sorensen, Right Side Hitter, Kent State
Anna Kharchynska, Opposite Hitter, Ohio
Players Mentioned
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