BRIDGEPORT – The Mountain East Conference announced Wednesday afternoon the 2024 Volleyball Awards, as voted by the league’s head coaches.
The awards announcement comes on the eve of the 2024 MEC Volleyball Championships, which will be played Thursday through Saturday at the Walker Convocation Center in Institute, West Virginia.
The MEC handed out four individual awards: West Virginia State’s Kiersten Eggleton was named Player of the Year; Fairmont State’s Josie Skinn was honored as the Libero of the Year; Wheeling’s Olivia Batch captured Freshman of the Year recognition; and West Virginia State’s Avery Moore was selected as the MEC Coach of the Year.
Eggleton, a setter who hails from St. Albans, West Virginia, leads the Yellow Jackets into the MEC tournament after a stellar regular season. She ranks second in the MEC in assists with 941 and led WVSU in sets played (99), matches played (29), and matches started (29). She eclipsed 1,000 career digs this season.
Skinn is a 5-foot-4 junior from Norwalk, Ohio, who leads the MEC in digs per set and total digs, and is seventh in the league in total aces. She also ranks No. 17 in the NCAA in digs per set and No. 2 in total digs. She has 16 matches of 20 or more digs, and serves as Fairmont State’s team captain.
Batch has accumulated 140 kills and 182 digs in her first collegiate season. The native of Curtice, Ohio has seen action in 77 sets and 27 games for Wheeling, which enters Thursday’s tournament first round as the top seed from the North Division.
Moore is in her seventh month on the job at West Virginia State. She led the Yellow Jackets to a 20-9 overall record, including a 14-1 mark in the MEC. WVSU enters Thursday’s MEC tournament on a 10-match winning streak, a span of more than a month. Moore’s team is 8-1 at home this season.
In addition to the 2024 award winners, the league also announced the MEC’s all-conference teams on Wednesday afternoon (listed below).
2024 MEC Individual Awards | ||
Player of the Year: Kiersten Eggleton (West Virginia State) Libero of the Year: Josie Skinn (Fairmont State) Freshman of the Year: Olivia Batch (Wheeling) Coach of the Year: Avery Moore (West Virginia State) | ||
2024 All-MEC First Team | ||
Pos. | Name | School |
S | Kiersten Eggleton | West Virginia State |
RS/OH | Emma Shepherd | Charleston |
OH | Riley Kindall | Wheeling |
S | Karly Niesen | Wheeling |
MH | Kate Strong | Charleston |
OH | Hannah Steele | West Virginia State |
OH | Joey Borelle | Fairmont State |
OH | Meg Williams | Concord |
MB | Riley Cudnik | West Liberty |
2024 All-MEC Second Team | ||
Pos. | Name | School |
L | Josie Skinn | Fairmont State |
RS | Pia Selke | Charleston |
MH | Valencia Wilder | West Virginia State |
MB | Kate Wilking | Wheeling |
MB/RS | Mady Winters | Wheeling |
L | Allie Davis | Concord |
OH | Maureen Mathews | West Virginia State |
L | Morgan Caba | West Virginia State |
RS | Baby Moleni | West Virginia State |
2024 All-MEC Honorable Mention | ||
L: Alexis Moeschler (West Virginia Wesleyan); Bella Dart (West Liberty) OH: Chloe Thompson (Concord); Dani Kunkle (Frostburg State); Eden McElhaney (Point Park); Kyia White (West Liberty) S: Haylie Marumoto (Davis & Elkins) RS: Josie Nobbe (Fairmont State) MB: Grace Hill (West Liberty) | ||
2024 MEC All-Freshman Team | ||
Pos. | Name | School |
S | London Upchurch | Charleston |
OH | Kyia White | West Liberty |
S | Belle DeVall | Fairmont State |
OH | Olivia Batch | Wheeling |
OH | Dani Kunkle | Frostburg State |
S | Emery Kuebler | Frostburg State |
OH | Keleigh Chrisman | Glenville State |
S/OPP | Helena Kelley | W. Va. Wesleyan |