JWU Women's Volleyball's Kate Walker Named AVCA Regional Player of the Year
Four Wildcats were named to the AVCA All-New England Region Team on Thursday, including Regional Player of the Year Kate Walker.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Courtesy of JWU Athletics Communications
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The awards keep coming for the Johnson & Wales University women's volleyball team. Four Wildcats were named to the AVCA All-New England Region Team, including Region Player of the Year Kate Walker.
Walker (Oakland, Calif.) was joined on the all-region team by setter Brylee Frank (Palm City, Fla.) as well as outside hitters Maria Coniglio (Old Bethpage, NY) and Katie Leidhold(Acushnet, Mass.). It's the second all-region honor for Frank and Coniglio. Head coach Nancy Somera was chosen Coach of the Year for the second year in a row.
Somera has guided the Wildcats into unprecedented territory. Starting Friday, the Wildcats will serve as host for the NCAA Division III Tournament regional for the first time in school history. Earlier this year, Johnson & Wales broke into the AVCA Top 25 for the first time after the program's first win over a ranked opponent. JWU is the only undefeated team in Division III, leads the NCAA with a .338 hitting percentage and rates fifth at 13.81 kills per set.
The top hitter in the country, Walker leads the NCAA (for all three divisions) with a .509 hitting percentage. A two-time GNAC Player of the Week, she tops the GNAC and is among the NCAA leaders in blocking. Against regionally ranked teams, Walker is hitting .349 with 2.08 kills and 0.96 blocks per set. MVP of the GNAC Tournament, she has seven matches with double-digit kills – highlighted by 14 versus #19 Juniata – to go along with seven matches with four or more blocks.
Frank is the quarterback of the top offense in the country. She rates 11th in the NCAA, and leads the GNAC, at 10.64 assists per set. A two-time GNAC Player of the Week, Frank is averaging 9.25 assists and 2.33 digs per set against regionally ranked opponents. Named to the GNAC All-Tournament team, she has four matches with 40 or more assists, including 50 at #19 Juniata.
Twice named GNAC Player of the Week, Coniglio is averaging 3.86 kills per set and 3.29 digs per set against regionally ranked teams. She rates fourth in the GNAC at 3.24 kills per set and sixth at 3.7 points per set. Coniglio has produced 12 matches with 10 or more kills, including 20 against #19 Juniata and 20 versus regionally ranked Wesleyan.
Leidhold earned GNAC Player of the Week on September 11 and was voted to the GNAC All-Tournament team. A great all-around player, she is averaging 3.38 kills, 3.69 digs, 0.56 blocks and 3.94 points per set against regionally ranked team. Leidhold ranks in the GNAC top 10 points per set, kills per set and blocks per set. She has six double-doubles, including 14 kills and 13 digs against Wesleyan as well as 11 kills and 10 digs in the GNAC Championship match.
The host JWU open the NCAA Tournament on Friday against Elms. The Wildcats and Blazers square off at 8 p.m. in the Wildcat Center.