SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Western Carolina’s Merry Gebel was named the Southern Conference Volleyball Player of the Year for the 2022 season. ETSU’s Benavia Jenkins was named coach of the year and Samford sophomore Kate Morgan was selected as libero of the year. The Buccaneers’ Caroline Dykes was named setter of the year and teammate Brianna Cantrell earned the Rayna Taylor Award, given annually to the league’s freshman of the year.
Gebel claims the Player of the Year award, Western Carolina’s second in program history and first since Regina Brown won in 1990, after leading Western Carolina to a 10-6 mark in conference play en route to a tie for third in the final SoCon standings and the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Southern Conference Volleyball Championship. The Wildwood, Missouri, native is fifth in the conference in kills (340) and kills per set (3.37). She is the active career leader in service aces with 138 and second in career kills among active players with 1,634. Gebel won SoCon Offensive Player of the Week twice during the season and had 12 double-doubles, including a stretch of five straight during conference play.
Jenkins earned coach of the year honors for the first time in her career and became the third coach in Buccaneer history to receive the recognition. Jenkins, in her fourth season as the Buccaneers’ head coach, has guided ETSU to a 21-7 overall record with a mark of 15-1 in SoCon play as the team heads into the Southern Conference championship as the No. 1 seed and the regular-season SoCon champion.
Morgan becomes the second Samford player, along with 2013 winner Chelsi Carter, to be tabbed Libero of the Year. The sophomore from Waxahachie, Texas, averaged 4.54 digs per set as Samford is 16-12 this season with an 11-5 record in league play, earning the No. 2 seed in the Southern Conference Volleyball Championship. Morgan also finished second in the league in total aces with 44.
Dykes is the first player awarded Setter of the Year in the conference’s history. The Flower Mound, Texas, native averaged 9.12 assists per set for ETSU as she was named setter of the week five times during the year.
Cantrell earned ETSU’s seventh Freshman of the Year honor. The Appleton, Wisconsin, native finished the year with 290 kills.
ETSU led the way with six postseason all-conference or all-freshman selections. Samford and Wofford followed with five and three selections, respectively. Mercer and Chattanooga each had two selections, while The Citadel, Furman and Western Carolina all had one apiece.
In addition to Dykes and Gebel, ETSU middle blocker Lundyn Coffman made the first team after finishing fifth in the conference in hitting percentage (.283) and second in blocks per set (1.09). The Citadel outside hitter Ali Ruffin earned first-team recognition after leading the SoCon in kills per set (3.91).
Mercer outside hitter Annie Karle and Samford outside hitter Kenya McQuirter were each named first-team all-conference for the second straight season. Karle was third in the league in kills per set (3.67), while McQuirter was second in kills per set (3.81). Chattanooga’s outside hitter Natalie Tyson rounded out the first-team selections as she finished the regular season averaging 3.55 kills per set.
The second team is highlighted by Morgan and Cantrell. Wofford placed a pair of junior middle blockers, Sarah Barham and Mille Loehr, on the second team. Barham led the league in blocks per set (1.12) and was second in hitting percentage (.335). Loehr led the conference in hitting percentage at .405, which ranks her 17th nationally.
Samford had two more players claim spots on the all-conference second-team with outside hitters Lauren Deaton and Gracie Lynn Butler earning the honor. Deaton, the conference’s active leader in kills and games played, finished the regular season averaging 3.04 kills per set, while Butler averaged 2.92 kills per set during the year. Chattanooga libero Paige Gallentine earned a spot on the second team after leading the conference in digs with 543, placing her 19th in total digs in the nation.
Along with Cantrell, the all-freshman team includes ETSU’s Kimani Johnson and Whitley Rammel, Furman’s Lauren Haynes, Mercer’s Lillian Beardsley, Samford’s Greer Golden and Wofford’s Victoria Hensley.
After a first-round game on Monday saw No. 8 Furman down No. 9 UNCG, 3-1, The Southern Conference Volleyball Championship continues Friday, Nov. 18, with four quarterfinal matches. Saturday features a pair of semifinal matches, with the championship final set for Sunday, Nov. 20, at 4 p.m. All seven matches will be held in Furman’s Timmons Arena and all will be broadcast on ESPN+.
2022 All-Southern Conference Volleyball Teams and Awards
Player of the Year – Merry Gebel, Western Carolina, 5th, OH
Rayna Taylor Freshman of the Year – Brianna Cantrell, ETSU, OH
Libero of the Year – Kate Morgan, Samford, So.
Setter of the Year – Caroline Dykes, ETSU, So.
Coach of the Year – Benavia Jenkins, ETSU
All-SoCon First Team
Ali Ruffin, The Citadel, So., OH
Lundyn Coffman, ETSU, Sr., MB
Caroline Dykes, ETSU, So., S
Annie Karle, Mercer, Gr., OH
Kenya McQuirter, Samford, R-Jr., OH
Natalie Tyson, Chattanooga, R-Sr., OH
Merry Gebel, Western Carolina, 5th, OH
All-SoCon Second Team
Brianna Cantrell, ETSU, Fr., OH
Gracie Lynn Butler, Samford, So., OH
Lauren Deaton, Samford, Gr., OH
Kate Morgan, Samford, So., LIB
Paige Gallentine, Chattanooga, So., LIB
Sarah Barham, Wofford, Jr., MB
Millie Loehr, Wofford, Jr., MB
All-Freshman Team
Brianna Cantrell, ETSU, OH
Kimani Johnson, ETSU, RS
Whitley Rammel, ETSU, MB/RS
Lauren Haynes, Furman, OH
Lillian Beardsley, Mercer, RS
Greer Golden, Samford, MB
Victoria Hensley, Wofford, S