Ball State University Athletics
Kennedy & Wielonski Earn Preseason All-MAC Honors, Cardinals Picked Third as a Team
August 26, 2024 | Women's Volleyball
CLEVELAND, Ohio - - With the 2024 women's volleyball season set to begin this weekend, the Mid-American Conference announced its annual preseason poll and all-MAC selections as voted on by the league's 12 head coaches.
Representing the Cardinals on the Preseason All-MAC Team were senior setter Megan Wielonski and redshirt sophomore outside Aniya Kennedy. As a team, Ball State was picked to finish third among the 12 league teams as the conference has eliminated divisions for the 2024 season.
Wielonski earns Preseason All-MAC honors for the third consecutive season after claiming First Team All-MAC accolades for the third straight season. The 2021 MAC Freshman of the Year and 2022 MAC Setter of the Year, Wielonski enters her senior season ranked sixth in program history with 4,022 career assists. She is also fourth on BSU's all-time list with 144 career service aces.
Kennedy earns a nod on the Preseason All-MAC team for the first time in her career after a stellar 2023 campaign which saw her claim both First Team All-MAC and MAC Freshman of the Year honors. She paced one of the most dynamic offenses in the MAC with a 4.12 kills-per-set average which was first in the league and 32nd among all NCAA Division I players. She blasted double digit kills in 26 matches last season, with 20-or-more on eight occasions.
With no divisions for the first time since the 1996 season, the Cardinals received 98 points in the league's coaches poll, trailing only Western Michigan (121) and Bowling Green (102). With coaches unable to vote for their own teams, WMU earned 11 of the 12 votes to win the MAC regular season title, with BGSU claiming the other.
The Broncos, who also received votes in the 2024 AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll, was also selected as the favorite to win the MAC Volleyball Championship with nine votes, followed by the Falcons (2) and the Cardinals (1).
The Ball State women's volleyball team opens the 2024 season Friday with matches versus Seton Hall (10 a.m.) and Bryant (4:30 p.m.) as part of the Florida Atlantic Invitational.
2024 MAC Volleyball Coaches Poll
First Place Votes in ()
1. Western Michigan (11) - 121 pts.
2. Bowling Green (1) - 102 pts.
3. Ball State - 98 pts.
4. Buffalo - 92 pts.
5. Ohio - 84 pts.
6. Toledo - 79 pts.
7. Central Michigan - 50 pts.
8. Northern Illinois - 49 pts.
9. Akron - 48 pts.
10. Miami - 32 pts.
11. Eastern Michigan - 22 pts.
12. Kent State - 15 pts.
Champion Votes: Western Michigan (9), Bowling Green (2), and Ball State (1)
2024 Preseason All-MAC Team
Aniya Kennedy, Redshirt-Sophomore, Outside Hitter, Ball State
Megan Wielonski, Senior, Setter, Ball State
Lauryn Hovey, Junior, Opposite Hitter, Bowling Green
Abby Leigh, Sixth-Year, Outside Hitter/Middle Blocker, Buffalo
Mandy Leigh, Senior, Setter, Buffalo
Katrin Trebichavska, Fifth-Year, Outside Hitter, Buffalo
Anna Kharchynska, Junior, opposite Hitter, Ohio
Taylor Alt, Fifth-Year, Outside Hitter, Toledo
Anna Calcagno, Graduate Student, Outside Hitter, Western Michigan
Logan Case, Fifth-Year, Setter, Western Michigan
Keona Salesman, Fifth-Year, Outside Hitter, Western Michigan
Andelyn Simkins, Fifth-Year, Libero, Western Michigan
Representing the Cardinals on the Preseason All-MAC Team were senior setter Megan Wielonski and redshirt sophomore outside Aniya Kennedy. As a team, Ball State was picked to finish third among the 12 league teams as the conference has eliminated divisions for the 2024 season.
Wielonski earns Preseason All-MAC honors for the third consecutive season after claiming First Team All-MAC accolades for the third straight season. The 2021 MAC Freshman of the Year and 2022 MAC Setter of the Year, Wielonski enters her senior season ranked sixth in program history with 4,022 career assists. She is also fourth on BSU's all-time list with 144 career service aces.
Kennedy earns a nod on the Preseason All-MAC team for the first time in her career after a stellar 2023 campaign which saw her claim both First Team All-MAC and MAC Freshman of the Year honors. She paced one of the most dynamic offenses in the MAC with a 4.12 kills-per-set average which was first in the league and 32nd among all NCAA Division I players. She blasted double digit kills in 26 matches last season, with 20-or-more on eight occasions.
With no divisions for the first time since the 1996 season, the Cardinals received 98 points in the league's coaches poll, trailing only Western Michigan (121) and Bowling Green (102). With coaches unable to vote for their own teams, WMU earned 11 of the 12 votes to win the MAC regular season title, with BGSU claiming the other.
The Broncos, who also received votes in the 2024 AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll, was also selected as the favorite to win the MAC Volleyball Championship with nine votes, followed by the Falcons (2) and the Cardinals (1).
The Ball State women's volleyball team opens the 2024 season Friday with matches versus Seton Hall (10 a.m.) and Bryant (4:30 p.m.) as part of the Florida Atlantic Invitational.
2024 MAC Volleyball Coaches Poll
First Place Votes in ()
1. Western Michigan (11) - 121 pts.
2. Bowling Green (1) - 102 pts.
3. Ball State - 98 pts.
4. Buffalo - 92 pts.
5. Ohio - 84 pts.
6. Toledo - 79 pts.
7. Central Michigan - 50 pts.
8. Northern Illinois - 49 pts.
9. Akron - 48 pts.
10. Miami - 32 pts.
11. Eastern Michigan - 22 pts.
12. Kent State - 15 pts.
Champion Votes: Western Michigan (9), Bowling Green (2), and Ball State (1)
2024 Preseason All-MAC Team
Aniya Kennedy, Redshirt-Sophomore, Outside Hitter, Ball State
Megan Wielonski, Senior, Setter, Ball State
Lauryn Hovey, Junior, Opposite Hitter, Bowling Green
Abby Leigh, Sixth-Year, Outside Hitter/Middle Blocker, Buffalo
Mandy Leigh, Senior, Setter, Buffalo
Katrin Trebichavska, Fifth-Year, Outside Hitter, Buffalo
Anna Kharchynska, Junior, opposite Hitter, Ohio
Taylor Alt, Fifth-Year, Outside Hitter, Toledo
Anna Calcagno, Graduate Student, Outside Hitter, Western Michigan
Logan Case, Fifth-Year, Setter, Western Michigan
Keona Salesman, Fifth-Year, Outside Hitter, Western Michigan
Andelyn Simkins, Fifth-Year, Libero, Western Michigan
Players Mentioned
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