Lennon Wins Second C-USA Player of the Year Honor
3/31/2021 2:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Graham named Setter of the Year; five Owls earn accolades
DALLAS – For a second time in three years, Rice senior outside hitter Nicole Lennon was named the Conference USA Player of the Year while fellow junior teammate Carly Graham became the third Owl to ever win C-USA Setter of the Year honors, the league office announced on Wednesday.
Lennon and Graham, who were also C-USA First Team selections, are two of five Owls who were recognized in the postseason awards, which also included junior middle blocker Anota Adekunle (First Team), Ellie Bichelmeyer (Second Team), and Danyle Courtley (All-Freshman).
Lennon, who was the 2018 C-USA Player of the Year, is a three-time C-USA Offensive Player of the Week this season and was a Senior CLASS Award semifinalist. The Katy, Texas native ranks second among all active NCAA players in both career kills (1,692) and career attacks (4,473). She ranks second this season in C-USA in total kills (282), total attacks (737), points per set (4.99), total points (334.0) and attacks per set (11.00). A six-rotation player, Lennon has four matches this season with 20 or more kills, 11 matches with 10 or more digs, and 10 double-doubles.
Graham is Rice first C-USA Setter of the Year since Megan Murphy in 2012 and along with Lennon, was named to the C-USA All-Academic Team on Tuesday. The Spring, Texas native has twice been named the C-USA Setter of the Week and ranks second in the conference in assists per set (10.10) and third in total assists (677). Graham has dished out 50 or more assists three times, including a career-high 66-assist performance in a win over North Texas (3/7). Graham has totaled nine double-doubles and 75.0 points.
Adekunle earned her third straight C-USA All-Conference selection and second straight First Team honor. The Humble, Texas native currently ranks third among all active NCAA Division I players in career hitting percentage (.404) and ranks sixth in the country this season with a .461 hitting clip. Adekunle has nine matches this season with 3.0 or more blocks and has hit .300 or better in 12 of 14 matches.
Bichelmeyer, from Mission Hills, Kan., earned her first All-Conference selection after a regular season in which she was second on the Owls in total kills (158), total attacks (411) and total points (181.5). Bichelmeyer posted 10 or more kills in three matches and contributed 37.0 blocks.
A native of Katy, Texas, Courtley is fourth on the Owls in kills (91) and has totaled 103.0 points. She hit .300 or better in five matches, including a .440 performance in a win at UTEP (3/14) in which she recorded a season-high 13 kills. Courtley is the 14th Owl to ever be selected to the C-USA All-Freshman Team and marks the eighth consecutive season Rice has had a representative on the team.
The Owls (14-4) enter this weekend's C-USA Championship as a No. 1 seed having completed a perfect 12-0 slate in league play and will face Middle Tennessee on Thursday, April 1 at 5 p.m. in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
Player of the Year: Nicole Lennon, Rice
Defensive Player of the Year: Destiny Leon, Marshall
Setter of the Year: Carly Graham, Rice
Freshman of the Year: Emani' Foster, Charlotte
Libero of the Year: Sarah Schank, Marshall
Coach of the Year: Karen Weatherington, Charlotte
All-Conference First Team
Emani Foster, Charlotte
Ciara DeBell, Marshall
Rhett Robinson, North Texas
Anota Adekunle, Rice
Carly Graham, Rice
Nicole Lennon, Rice
Fernanda Maida, UAB
Cheyenne Jones, UTEP
Lauren Matthews, WKU
Nadia Dieudonne, WKU
Paige Briggs, WKU
All-Conference Second Team
Amani McArthur, Charlotte
Sydney Rowan, Charlotte
Destiny Leon, Marshall
Sarah Schank, Marshall
Sydney Lostumo, Marshall
Alessia Sgherza, Old Dominion
Ellie Bichelmeyer, Rice
Duqesne Moratzka, Southern Miss
Alex Kells, UAB
Serena Patterson, UTEP
Katie Isenbarger, WKU
All-Freshman Team
Emani' Foster, Charlotte
Lara Kretchmer, Charlotte
Amelia Van Der Werff, Middle Tennessee
Teresa Atilano, Old Dominion
Danyle Courtley, Rice
Erin Powers, UAB
Ava Palm, UTEP
-RiceOwls.com-
Lennon and Graham, who were also C-USA First Team selections, are two of five Owls who were recognized in the postseason awards, which also included junior middle blocker Anota Adekunle (First Team), Ellie Bichelmeyer (Second Team), and Danyle Courtley (All-Freshman).
Lennon, who was the 2018 C-USA Player of the Year, is a three-time C-USA Offensive Player of the Week this season and was a Senior CLASS Award semifinalist. The Katy, Texas native ranks second among all active NCAA players in both career kills (1,692) and career attacks (4,473). She ranks second this season in C-USA in total kills (282), total attacks (737), points per set (4.99), total points (334.0) and attacks per set (11.00). A six-rotation player, Lennon has four matches this season with 20 or more kills, 11 matches with 10 or more digs, and 10 double-doubles.
Graham is Rice first C-USA Setter of the Year since Megan Murphy in 2012 and along with Lennon, was named to the C-USA All-Academic Team on Tuesday. The Spring, Texas native has twice been named the C-USA Setter of the Week and ranks second in the conference in assists per set (10.10) and third in total assists (677). Graham has dished out 50 or more assists three times, including a career-high 66-assist performance in a win over North Texas (3/7). Graham has totaled nine double-doubles and 75.0 points.
Adekunle earned her third straight C-USA All-Conference selection and second straight First Team honor. The Humble, Texas native currently ranks third among all active NCAA Division I players in career hitting percentage (.404) and ranks sixth in the country this season with a .461 hitting clip. Adekunle has nine matches this season with 3.0 or more blocks and has hit .300 or better in 12 of 14 matches.
Bichelmeyer, from Mission Hills, Kan., earned her first All-Conference selection after a regular season in which she was second on the Owls in total kills (158), total attacks (411) and total points (181.5). Bichelmeyer posted 10 or more kills in three matches and contributed 37.0 blocks.
A native of Katy, Texas, Courtley is fourth on the Owls in kills (91) and has totaled 103.0 points. She hit .300 or better in five matches, including a .440 performance in a win at UTEP (3/14) in which she recorded a season-high 13 kills. Courtley is the 14th Owl to ever be selected to the C-USA All-Freshman Team and marks the eighth consecutive season Rice has had a representative on the team.
The Owls (14-4) enter this weekend's C-USA Championship as a No. 1 seed having completed a perfect 12-0 slate in league play and will face Middle Tennessee on Thursday, April 1 at 5 p.m. in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
Player of the Year: Nicole Lennon, Rice
Defensive Player of the Year: Destiny Leon, Marshall
Setter of the Year: Carly Graham, Rice
Freshman of the Year: Emani' Foster, Charlotte
Libero of the Year: Sarah Schank, Marshall
Coach of the Year: Karen Weatherington, Charlotte
All-Conference First Team
Emani Foster, Charlotte
Ciara DeBell, Marshall
Rhett Robinson, North Texas
Anota Adekunle, Rice
Carly Graham, Rice
Nicole Lennon, Rice
Fernanda Maida, UAB
Cheyenne Jones, UTEP
Lauren Matthews, WKU
Nadia Dieudonne, WKU
Paige Briggs, WKU
All-Conference Second Team
Amani McArthur, Charlotte
Sydney Rowan, Charlotte
Destiny Leon, Marshall
Sarah Schank, Marshall
Sydney Lostumo, Marshall
Alessia Sgherza, Old Dominion
Ellie Bichelmeyer, Rice
Duqesne Moratzka, Southern Miss
Alex Kells, UAB
Serena Patterson, UTEP
Katie Isenbarger, WKU
All-Freshman Team
Emani' Foster, Charlotte
Lara Kretchmer, Charlotte
Amelia Van Der Werff, Middle Tennessee
Teresa Atilano, Old Dominion
Danyle Courtley, Rice
Erin Powers, UAB
Ava Palm, UTEP
-RiceOwls.com-
Players Mentioned
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