BELLEVUE, Neb. - Junior setter Beth Walker (Dubuque, Iowa) has been named Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year as announced by the conference on Thursday to start the volleyball awards season. The Bruins had four players named as either First or Second Team All-Conference selections, one honorable mention and three players named MCAC Scholar-Athletes.
Bellevue (22-20/6-2 MCAC) finished the regular season in a three-way tie for second place in the conference and after overcoming a slow start to go 22-9 in their last 31 matches.
Walker, named an All-American a season ago, won MCAC Player of the Year honors after being named Setter of the Week within the conference six times this season. She recorded 21 double-doubles this season and averaged 9.82 assists per set which easily ranks first within the conference and fourth nationally among players who have appeared in at least 140 sets. In addition to being named Player of the Year, Walker was also recognized as an All-MCAC First Team selection for the second straight year after earning Honorable Mention accolades as a freshman in 2012.
Joining Walker on the first team is middle blocker and fellow junior Symone Faulkner (Denver, Col.) whose 436 kills are tied for 19th nationally and better than 30 more than the closest in the conference (Abby Buehler of Waldorf). Faulkner is being honored on the First Team for the third consecutive season. Her hitting percentage for the year of .326 is tops on the team as well as among the conference and 23rd nationally. She was also a two-time MCAC Hitter of the Week this season and has scored a team-leading 125 total blocks on the year.
Sophomore right side LaJaida Even (Waverly, Iowa) was named to the Second Team, earning the first All-Conference nod of her career. Even totaled 275 kills on the season with her powerful arm swing, which was good for second on the team. Defensively she added 53 digs and 38 total blocks on the year.
Freshman middle blocker Hope Lambrecht (Wood River, Neb.) was also a second team choice. Lambrecht has turned in a very strong freshman campaign finishing with 186 kills, a .239 hitting percentage, 83 digs, and 73 total blocks.
Earning Honorable Mention was freshman libero Taylor Holz (Omaha, Neb.). Holz has recorded a team-high 533 digs on the season for an average of 3.46 per set while her 47 service aces were just two back of the team lead.
Bellevue also saw three players named as MCAC Scholar-Athletes. Walker, redshirt freshman Addison Smith (Papillion, Neb.), and senior Sunny Bell (Omaha, Neb.) each earned the honor. It was the fourth time Bell has been honored with the recognition while Walker was also a repeater and Smith earned the honor for the first time in her career. To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must have a 3.25 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale), be at least a sophomore, and have spent at least two semesters at their current school.
Bellevue wrapped up their season yesterday with a semi-final loss to College of the Ozarks in the MCAC Tournament, where the Bruins were the fourth seed in the field of eight.
For the full list of MCAC award winners, please click here.
