ATLANTA, Ga. (November 12, 2024) – Covenant’s senior middle hitter Hannah Mathis and Asbury’s junior libero Riley McChord have been voted the 2024 CCS Volleyball Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively, by the conference’s head coaches, announced by the league office. Asbury’s junior setter Lucy Kate Gray was named Setter of the Year, while freshman outside hitter Isabelle VandeSchraaf earned Rookie of the Year honors, and Asbury’s Tiffany Horton was voted Coach of the Year.
Player of the Year | Hannah Mathis, Covenant
Covenant senior middle hitter Hannah Mathis has delivered an exceptional season, making her an undeniable force on the court. Appearing in 31 matches and 107 sets, Mathis racked up 320 kills and leads the league with a .373 hitting percentage. Her dominance at the net is further showcased by her CCS-leading 111 total blocks, which also places her Top 15 in NCAA Division III. Mathis averages 2.99 kills per set (third in the CCS) and is Top 3 leading scorer in the league with 413 points. A four-time CCS Player of the Week, Mathis achieved back-to-back games with 18 kills in September against Maryville and Berea, rounding out a standout season with 70 digs.
Defensive Player of the Year | Riley McChord, Asbury
Asbury junior libero Riley McChord has been instrumental to her team’s defense, finishing the season with 406 digs (4.23 per set), ranking third in the CCS. McChord recorded 16 matches with 15 or more digs, including three 20-plus dig performances, and was named CCS Defensive Player of the Week three times this season. Her impressive year includes reaching 1,000 career digs in only two and a half seasons, adding 103 assists and 34 aces to her season totals while leading the Asbury defense to 13 sweeps.
Setter of the Year | Lucy Kate Gray, Asbury
Junior setter Lucy Kate Gray has driven Asbury’s offense with precision, tallying 579 assists at an average of 6.23 per set, the second highest in the CCS. Known for her versatility, Gray is eighth in the conference in aces per set (0.49), amassing a team-high 46 aces this season. She has recorded 20 or more assists in 13 matches, with season highlights including two 40-plus assist games, notably 46 assists against Earlham and 40 against Berea. Gray’s all-around contributions also extend to defense, where she posted 174 digs (1.87 per set).
Freshman of the Year | Isabelle VandeSchraaf, Asbury
Asbury freshman outside hitter Isabelle VandeSchraaf has made a powerful debut, leading the CCS in kills per set (4.03) and points per set (4.45), while ranking ninth in digs per set (3.12). Her remarkable 383 kills and 296 digs have established her as a key player on both offense and defense for the Eagles. VandeSchraaf posted 14 double-doubles, including two matches with 20-plus kills and digs, and set an Asbury school record with 28 kills in a win over No. 23 Centre College. She was named CCS Rookie of the Week five times and also received CCS Player of the Week honors, guiding Asbury to 21 wins and a stellar 15-1 conference record.
Coach of the Year | Tiffany Horton, Asbury
In her third year at the helm, Asbury’s Tiffany Horton has transformed the Eagles into champions, guiding them to a 15-1 conference record and the CCS Regular Season Championship in their first year in the league. Horton has doubled the program’s win totals in back-to-back seasons, boasting a 21-6 overall record. Starting CCS play with a 10-0 streak, her team capped the regular season with a signature victory over No. 23 Centre College on their home court. Asbury’s balanced attack delivered 1,185 kills on a .181 hitting percentage while holding opponents to a .122 hitting percentage across the season.
Asbury led the conference honors with six total selections, followed by Maryville with five. Covenant earned four selections, while Belhaven and Huntingdon each had two. Agnes Scott and Piedmont rounded out the list with one honoree each.
The stage is set for the CCS Women’s Volleyball Championship Tournament, which begins with two exciting quarterfinal matchups. No. 3 Covenant takes on No. 6 Piedmont, while No. 4 Belhaven faces off against No. 5 Huntingdon. Winners will advance to Wednesday’s semifinals, where top-seeded Asbury awaits the Game 2 winner and No. 2 Maryville will meet the Game 1 victor. The final showdown for the championship title will take place Saturday, November 16.
2024 CCS WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL SUPERLATIVE AWARDS
Player of the Year: Hannah Mathis, Covenant
Defensive Player of the Year: Riley McChord, Asbury
Setter of the Year: Lucy Kate Gray, Asbury
Freshman of the Year: Isabelle VandeSchraaf, Asbury
Coach of the Year: Tiffany Horton, Asbury
2024 CCS WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
First Team
| Isabelle VandeSchraaf |
Asbury |
| Riley McChord |
Asbury |
| Reese Bailey |
Maryville |
| Lucy Kate Gray |
Asbury |
| Hannah Mathis |
Covenant |
| Emma Grace Gray |
Asbury |
| Sarah Jennings |
Covenant |
| Kelsey Carman |
Covenant |
| Megan LaCour |
Belhaven |
| Cailin Mastropasqua |
Maryville |
Second Team
| Katelyn Eldred |
Maryville |
| Landry Frisch |
Maryville |
| Izzy Valldeperas |
Huntingdon |
| Cali Sandhoff |
Covenant |
| Rylee White |
Belhaven |
| Kenzie Brewster |
Maryville |
| Ashlen Janowski |
Huntingdon |
| Madison Stidum |
Agnes Scott |
| Katie Hubbard |
Piedmont |
| Sophie Glushchak |
Asbury |
2024 CCS WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL ALL-SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM
| Adrionna Foster |
Agnes Scott |
| Emma Grace Gray |
Asbury |
| Emma Gardner |
Belhaven |
| Anissa Snyder |
Covenant |
| Eva Ellenburg |
Huntingdon |
| Zentrina Choice |
LaGrange |
| Brooke Oliver |
Maryville |
| Vanessa Manzo |
Piedmont |
| Trinity Jackson |
Wesleyan |
ABOUT THE COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE OF THE SOUTH (CCS)
The CCS is an NCAA Division III athletic conference that began play during the 2022-23 academic year. The conference features nine member institutions (Agnes Scott College, Asbury University, Belhaven University, Covenant College, Huntingdon College, LaGrange College, Maryville College, Piedmont University, and Wesleyan College) and sponsors championships across 14 sports. In addition to sharing the member institutions' geographic identity, the name 'Collegiate Conference of the South' is indicative of a shared commitment to academic excellence, which is commensurate with the NCAA Division III philosophy.
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