SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference announced its November athletes of the month for men’s and women’s basketball, football, rifle, volleyball and wrestling Thursday, highlighting excellence among student-athletes during the month.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Ethan Stair, Mercer, R-Sr., G
Mercer guard Ethan Stair averaged a double-double in seven November contests, leading the league in scoring at 20.1 points per game and rebounding at 10.1 points per game. The redshirt senior from Hazel Green, Alabama, who entered his final season with two career double-doubles, posted four in the month, starting with 23 points and 10 rebounds in a season-opening loss at St. John’s. Stair followed that up with 17 points and 12 boards in a win over Columbia International two days later and capped his month with 24 points and 13 rebounds in a win at UIC on Nov. 23 and 13 points and 11 boards in a loss at St. Bonaventure on Nov. 26. In between, he scored a career-high 28 points and hit a career-best six 3 pointers at Georgia Southern, narrowly missing another double-double with nine rebounds. Stair also had nine boards and scored 15 points in a win at FGCU.
Others nominated: Fletcher Abee (The Citadel), Bo Hodges (ETSU), Clay Mounce (Furman), Robert Allen (Samford), Matt Ryan (Chattanooga), Mason Faulkner (Western Carolina) and Storm Murphy (Wofford).
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Jewel Smalls, Western Carolina, So., G
Western Carolina guard Jewel Smalls finished with double-doubles in seven of the Catamounts’ nine contests, tied for the most in Division I, and averaged a double-double on the month with 15.7 points and a SoCon-best 11.7 rebounds per game. Smalls, the SoCon Player of the Week presented by GEICO on Nov. 19, netted double figures in eight of the nine contests. The sophomore from Roswell, Georgia, scored 20-plus twice, including tying her career high with 32 points at Gardner-Webb on Nov. 27, accounting for more than half of Western Carolina’s offensive output and earning SoCon weekly honors again for her efforts. After opening her season with a career-high 15 rebounds in a win over UVA Wise, she turned in a new career best with 18 rebounds against Coastal Carolina on Nov. 24. Smalls, a 5-7 guard, amassed 105 rebounds in the month, an NCAA best.
Others nominated: Micah Scheetz (ETSU), Le’Jzae Davidson (Furman), Jaron Dougherty (Mercer), Sarah Myers (Samford), Lakelyn Bouldin (Chattanooga) and Chloe Wanink (Wofford).
FOOTBALL
OFFENSE
Nick Tiano, Chattanooga, Sr., QB
Chattanooga quarterback Nick Tiano accounted for 11 touchdowns in four November games, rushing for one score in each contest and throwing for two TDs in three of them. He ran for 192 yards and threw for 858, averaging 262.5 yards of total offense per game. Tiano opened his month by passing for 164 yards and a TD in a loss to No. 13 Furman before rushing for a career-high 100 yards and throwing for 296 yards and two scores in a win over Samford the following week. The senior from Chattanooga, Tennessee, threw for 268 yards and two more TDs in a comeback win at The Citadel before closing his month with 230 yards and two touchdowns through the air in a loss at VMI. Tiano finished his career sixth in school history in total offense yards (6,569) and tied for sixth in TD passes (35).
Others nominated: Brandon Rainey (The Citadel), Quay Holmes (ETSU), Donnavan Spencer (Western Carolina) and Blake Morgan (Wofford).
DEFENSE
Jayden Pauling, Western Carolina, So., LB
Western Carolina linebacker Jayden Pauling had 22 tackles and forced four fumbles and recovered another in four November contests, counting four sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss among his totals. The sophomore from Raleigh, North Carolina, opened his month with eight tackles (2.5 for loss) in a win over VMI, forcing a fumble on a sack in the first quarter and recovering a fumble in the second. Pauling had a blocked field-goal attempt and another sack among his five tackles in an overtime win over ETSU the following week before notching eight tackles (seven solo) and three forced fumbles in a loss to Samford on Nov. 16, adding two sacks and earning SoCon Defensive Player of the Week presented by GEICO honors. Pauling closed his season with a tackle at No. 5 Alabama.
Others nominated: Willie Eubanks III (The Citadel), Artevius Smith (ETSU), Nathan East (Samford), Marshall Cooper (Chattanooga) and Michael Mason (Wofford).
RIFLE
SMALLBORE
Kimberlee Nettles, North Georgia, Jr.
North Georgia junior Kimberlee Nettles has continued her impressive season with a pair of strong showings during the month of November. The Waycross, Georgia, native shot a 576 in smallbore on Nov. 2 against The Citadel and No. 15 Jacksonville State to finish eighth and lead the 20th-ranked Nighthawks to second as a team. Nettles led the team in smallbore with a score of 569 on Nov. 23 against fifth-ranked Akron. Her score was good for seventh out of 21 total shooters.
Others nominated: Alexander McAlear (The Citadel) and Dan Wesson (Wofford).
AIR RIFLE
Tobin Sanctuary, North Georgia, Sr.
North Georgia senior Tobin Sanctuary has consistently shot at a high level in air rifle for the Nighthawks this season, maintaining his average over both matches during the month of November. The Alstead, New Hampshire, native finished as the team’s top performer in all three standings in the match against The Citadel and No. 15 Jacksonville State on Nov. 2. Sanctuary fired a score of 577 in air rifle to finish fifth out of 16 shooters. He improved on that performance on Nov. 23 against No. 5 Akron by shooting 581 in air rifle to finish 14th.
Others nominated: Amy Kohan (UAB), Cameron Bates (The Citadel) and Dan Wesson (Wofford).
VOLLEYBALL
OFFENSE
Kelsi Hobbs, Samford, Sr., RS
Samford right side hitter Kelsi Hobbs had double-digit kills in all of Samford’s matches in the month of November as the Bulldogs went 7-0 in the span, capturing the SoCon regular-season title and winning the SoCon Volleyball Championship as the top seed. The native of Hoover, Alabama, and the SoCon Player of the Year had 20-plus kills in three matches, tallying 22 at UNC Greensboro in the Bulldogs’ first match of the month on Nov. 8, 23 in the SoCon semifinals against Furman and a career-high 26 in the 3-2 win over ETSU in the SoCon championship match. Hobbs, who hit .324 in the span, tallied two double-doubles in the month and averaged 4.31 kills and 2.03 digs per set. The senior, who repeats as SoCon Offensive Player of the Month, was named the Most Outstanding Player of the SoCon Championship.
Others nominated: Kaela Massey (ETSU), Nicole Mack (Furman), Brittany Major (Mercer), Abigail Veit (Western Carolina) and Riley Coonan (Wofford).
DEFENSE
Courtney Hoffman, Furman, R-Jr., MB
Furman middle blocker Courtney Hoffman averaged 1.11 blocks per set in the month of November. The first-team all-conference selection also hit .317 and averaged 2.57 kills per set as the Paladins advanced to the semifinals of the SoCon Championship. The native of Greenwood, South Carolina, tallied at least two blocks in every match and had at least five in six of Furman’s eight matches in November. Hoffman tallied six blocks in a 3-2 win at The Citadel on Nov. 1. She totaled five in back-to-back matches against Chattanooga and Samford and finished the month with five at Mercer in the regular-season finale, nine against Wofford in the SoCon quarterfinals and five against Samford in the semifinals.
Others nominated: Marija Popovic (ETSU), Emily Naubert (Samford), Meagan Sanchez (Western Carolina) and Riley Coonan (Wofford).
SETTER
Corinne Meglic, Samford, R-So.
Samford setter Corinne Meglic averaged an impressive 11.38 assists per set on the month and picks up her second Setter of the Month honor of the season. Meglic, a redshirt sophomore, had at least 28 assists in every match and had 40 or more in five of the seven matches. The native of Green Bay, Wisconsin, dished out 67 assists in the five-set win at Furman on Nov. 9 and tallied 53 against Furman in the SoCon semifinals and 62 in the 3-2 win over ETSU in the SoCon Championship title bout.
Others nominated: Emily Arnold (ETSU), Katie Murphy (Furman), Hannah Price (Western Carolina) and Lorissa King (Wofford).
WRESTLING
Josh Heil, Campbell, R-Jr., 141 pounds
Campbell’s Josh Heil had a standout month for the Camels, posting a 9-1 overall record for the month which includes a 4-1 mark against ranked opponents. The redshirt junior from Brunswick, Ohio, opened the month by taking the individual title at the Southeast Open on Nov. 3. Heil went a perfect 4-0 while defeating 18th-ranked Alex Madrigal of George Mason and 23rd-ranked Zach Sherman from North Carolina. Heil won his second tournament title of the month at the Navy Classic on Nov. 23. Heil’s wins over sixth-ranked Kyle Shoop of Lock Haven and 18th-ranked Mitch Moore of Virginia Tech highlighted his title in Annapolis, Maryland.
Others nominated: Jonathan Millner (Appalachian State), Matthew Waddell (Chattanooga) and Neal Richards (VMI).
Southern Conference November Athletes of the Month
Men’s basketball Ethan Stair, Mercer
Women’s basketball Jewel Smalls, Western Carolina
Football – offense Nick Tiano, Chattanooga
Football – defense Jayden Pauling, Western Carolina
Rifle – smallbore Kimberlee Nettles, North Georgia
Rifle – air rifle Tobin Sanctuary, North Georgia
Volleyball – offense Kelsi Hobbs, Samford
Volleyball – defense Courtney Hoffman, Furman
Volleyball – setter Corinne Meglic, Samford
Wrestling Josh Heil, Campbell
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