Volleyball Places Five on C-USA All-Conference Teams
11/14/2018 12:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Adekunle, Cunningham, Graham, Lennon, and Morgan receive recognition
IRVING, Texas – A total of five Rice Owl volleyball players were named to the All-Conference USA teams on Wednesday, as Nicole Lennon (sophomore), Lee Ann Cunningham (junior) and Grace Morgan (junior) earned First Team honors, while freshman Anota Adekunle picked up Second Team/All-Freshman Team accolades and Carly Graham was also named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team.
Lennon, from Katy, Texas, backed up a Freshman of the Year campaign by earning a spot on the C-USA First Team for the first time in her career. Lennon leads the Owls in double-doubles (17), total points (473.0-4th in C-USA), points per set (4.55-3rd in C-USA), total kills (419-4th in C-USA), kills per set (4.03-3rd in C-USA) and total attacks (1,037-6th in C-USA). Lennon is also second on the Owls in total digs (329) and digs per set (3.16). In C-USA matches, the sophomore outside hitter is the only player in the league to rank in the top eight in both kills per set (4.26-2nd) and digs per set (3.78-8th), all while hitting .309 as an outside hitter. Lennon recorded a double-double in 12 of 14 C-USA matches and is on a streak of 10 or more kills in 21 straight matches. A Second Team selection last year, Lennon was twice named the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week in 2018 and has six matches with 20 or more kills.
Morgan, from Crowley, La., earned her second straight C-USA First Team honor. The junior middle blocker leads the Owls in hitting percentage (.374-2nd in C-USA), total blocks (111-3rd in C-USA), and blocks per set (1.10-2nd in C-USA). In addition, Morgan was second on the Owls in total kills (272), kills per set (2.69), and total points (353.0). During C-USA play, Morgan hit .357 (6th in C-USA) and was ninth in blocks per game (1.04). She posted five or more blocks in 11 matches this season and hit .300 or better in nine C-USA matches. Morgan was named the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 3.
Cunningham, a native of Louisville, Ky., was also named to the C-USA First Team for the first time in her career. A four-time recipient of the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week this season, Cunningham leads the Owls in total digs (502-4th in C-USA) and digs per set (4.83-4th in C-USA). She has 20 or more digs in 10 matches this season and helped anchor a Rice defense that leads all of C-USA and ranks 17th in the nation in opponents hitting percentage (.159). During league play, the junior libero ranked third in both total digs and digs per set.
Adekunle, a freshman from Humble, Texas, ranked fourth in C-USA in blocks per set (1.04) and was second on the Owls in hitting percentage (.307). The high-flying middle blocker had eight matches with 10 or more kills and five matches with 10 or more blocks. During league play, Adekunle raised her game by leading all freshmen with a .350 hitting percentage (7th in C-USA) and was one of just two freshmen to rank in the top-10 in blocks per set (1.15-4th). Adekunle was named the C-USA Freshman of the Week on Oct. 8 and set a school record with a .846 hitting percentage on Sept. 21 against the UTEP, the top hitting percentage by a C-USA player this season.
Graham, a freshman native of Spring, Texas, was instrumental in the Owls success playing as part of a two-setter system. She leads the Owls in total assists (633) and assists per set (6.09) and ranks second on the team with 11 double-doubles, six of which came during league action. During C-USA play, Graham led the league in total aces (21) and aces per set (0.39). She was named the C-USA Freshman of the Week on Oct. 1 and played a vital role in the Owls leading the league in hitting percentage (.271) during C-USA play.
The Owls open up the C-USA Championships this Friday at 11 a.m. (CT) against Charlotte on ESPN+.
All-Conference First Team
Yumi Garcia, Charlotte
Sigourney Kame, Florida Atlantic
Ivone Martinez, Florida Atlantic
Massiel Matos, Florida Atlantic
Valerie Valerian, North Texas
Karley York, North Texas
Sarah Bell, Southern Miss
Kylie Grandy, Southern Miss
Lee Ann Cunningham, Rice
Nicole Lennon, Rice
Grace Morgan, Rice
Rachel Anderson, WKU
All-Conference Second Team
Tyra Galloway, Charlotte
Reanna Richardson, Charlotte
Jocelyn Stoner, Charlotte
Abbi Reid, Florida Atlantic
Margherita Bianchin, FIU
Ciara Debell, Marshall
Bailey Mason, Middle Tennessee
Barbara Teakell, North Texas
Jordyn Williams, North Texas
Anota Adekunle, Rice
Alexis Coombs, Southern Miss
Macey Austin, UTEP
Amanda Gonzales, UTSA
Kirby Smith, UTSA
Kara Teal, UTSA
Sophia Cerino, WKU
All-Freshman Team
Tyra Galloway, Charlotte
Nya Steele, Charlotte
Abbie Hughes, FIU
Rhett Robinson, North Texas
Anota Adekunle, Rice
Carly Graham, Rice
Payton Frederick, WKU
Lauren Matthews, WKU
Lennon, from Katy, Texas, backed up a Freshman of the Year campaign by earning a spot on the C-USA First Team for the first time in her career. Lennon leads the Owls in double-doubles (17), total points (473.0-4th in C-USA), points per set (4.55-3rd in C-USA), total kills (419-4th in C-USA), kills per set (4.03-3rd in C-USA) and total attacks (1,037-6th in C-USA). Lennon is also second on the Owls in total digs (329) and digs per set (3.16). In C-USA matches, the sophomore outside hitter is the only player in the league to rank in the top eight in both kills per set (4.26-2nd) and digs per set (3.78-8th), all while hitting .309 as an outside hitter. Lennon recorded a double-double in 12 of 14 C-USA matches and is on a streak of 10 or more kills in 21 straight matches. A Second Team selection last year, Lennon was twice named the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week in 2018 and has six matches with 20 or more kills.
Morgan, from Crowley, La., earned her second straight C-USA First Team honor. The junior middle blocker leads the Owls in hitting percentage (.374-2nd in C-USA), total blocks (111-3rd in C-USA), and blocks per set (1.10-2nd in C-USA). In addition, Morgan was second on the Owls in total kills (272), kills per set (2.69), and total points (353.0). During C-USA play, Morgan hit .357 (6th in C-USA) and was ninth in blocks per game (1.04). She posted five or more blocks in 11 matches this season and hit .300 or better in nine C-USA matches. Morgan was named the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 3.
Cunningham, a native of Louisville, Ky., was also named to the C-USA First Team for the first time in her career. A four-time recipient of the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week this season, Cunningham leads the Owls in total digs (502-4th in C-USA) and digs per set (4.83-4th in C-USA). She has 20 or more digs in 10 matches this season and helped anchor a Rice defense that leads all of C-USA and ranks 17th in the nation in opponents hitting percentage (.159). During league play, the junior libero ranked third in both total digs and digs per set.
Adekunle, a freshman from Humble, Texas, ranked fourth in C-USA in blocks per set (1.04) and was second on the Owls in hitting percentage (.307). The high-flying middle blocker had eight matches with 10 or more kills and five matches with 10 or more blocks. During league play, Adekunle raised her game by leading all freshmen with a .350 hitting percentage (7th in C-USA) and was one of just two freshmen to rank in the top-10 in blocks per set (1.15-4th). Adekunle was named the C-USA Freshman of the Week on Oct. 8 and set a school record with a .846 hitting percentage on Sept. 21 against the UTEP, the top hitting percentage by a C-USA player this season.
Graham, a freshman native of Spring, Texas, was instrumental in the Owls success playing as part of a two-setter system. She leads the Owls in total assists (633) and assists per set (6.09) and ranks second on the team with 11 double-doubles, six of which came during league action. During C-USA play, Graham led the league in total aces (21) and aces per set (0.39). She was named the C-USA Freshman of the Week on Oct. 1 and played a vital role in the Owls leading the league in hitting percentage (.271) during C-USA play.
The Owls open up the C-USA Championships this Friday at 11 a.m. (CT) against Charlotte on ESPN+.
All-Conference First Team
Yumi Garcia, Charlotte
Sigourney Kame, Florida Atlantic
Ivone Martinez, Florida Atlantic
Massiel Matos, Florida Atlantic
Valerie Valerian, North Texas
Karley York, North Texas
Sarah Bell, Southern Miss
Kylie Grandy, Southern Miss
Lee Ann Cunningham, Rice
Nicole Lennon, Rice
Grace Morgan, Rice
Rachel Anderson, WKU
All-Conference Second Team
Tyra Galloway, Charlotte
Reanna Richardson, Charlotte
Jocelyn Stoner, Charlotte
Abbi Reid, Florida Atlantic
Margherita Bianchin, FIU
Ciara Debell, Marshall
Bailey Mason, Middle Tennessee
Barbara Teakell, North Texas
Jordyn Williams, North Texas
Anota Adekunle, Rice
Alexis Coombs, Southern Miss
Macey Austin, UTEP
Amanda Gonzales, UTSA
Kirby Smith, UTSA
Kara Teal, UTSA
Sophia Cerino, WKU
All-Freshman Team
Tyra Galloway, Charlotte
Nya Steele, Charlotte
Abbie Hughes, FIU
Rhett Robinson, North Texas
Anota Adekunle, Rice
Carly Graham, Rice
Payton Frederick, WKU
Lauren Matthews, WKU
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