Four Eagles Earn Volleyball All-Conference Awards
ROCK HILL, SC – The Big South Conference announced the volleyball annual awards Tuesday and Winthrop had four players earn recognition.
Emma Weakland and Madilyn McCarty were each named All-Conference Honorable Mention. McCarty along with Lourdes Rosario were voted to the All-Freshman team and Rachel Lenz was named to the All-Academic Team.
Weakland, a junior from State College, PA, has a strong offensive year, averaging 2.44 kills per set and finished the regular season with a .316 attack percentage, ranking her eighth in the conference. She hit .427 in conference matches, ranking her third in the Big South.
McCarty, a freshman setter from Springfield, IL, has had a standout year for the Eagles. McCarty has earned five Freshman of the Week awards. She leads the conference with 1,118 assists through the end of the regular season and is second amongst freshmen in the NCAA with 10.45 assists per set. She has recorded six double-doubles this season and is third on the team in blocking with 70 total blocks.
Rosario, a freshman outside hitter from Ciales, Puerto Rico, was having a strong offensive campaign for the Eagles before becoming injured midway through the conference season. In 21 matches played, she recorded 14 double-digit kill matches with a career-high 23 kills. She tallied six double-doubles and earned one Player of the Week and one Freshman of the Week award.
Lenz, a senior from Lancaster, PA, earned the All-Academic Team nod with a 3.684 GPA as an Athletic Training major. She has once been named to the President’s List and four times to the Dean’s List. She has been a member of the Big South Presidential Honor Roll for all three of her years at Winthrop.
The Eagles will kick of their Big South Tournament on Thursday as the fifth seed when they take on the fourth-seeded UNC Asheville Bulldogs. The game will be 2:30 p.m. at High Point University, the host of the tournament.