Bison Volleyball Places Six on All-PAC Teams: Parker Named Rookie of the Year
Nov. 10 – GREENVILLE, Pa. – After a 2015 season that saw them post a 29-9 record and grab a runner-up finish in the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship Tournament, the Bethany College volleyball team has been honored with six All-Conference selections, announced the PAC on Tuesday. Headlining the honorees were First-Team All-PAC selection Dylana McKenzie (Hopewell, Ohio/West Muskingum), along with first-team selection and PAC Rookie of the Year winner, Reilly Parker (Irwin, Pa./Norwin).
Parker anchored the Bethany defense over the course of the season en route to her Rookie of the Year and first-team accolades. The freshman libero led all players in the PAC, and ranked 10th in all of Division III in total digs, racking up 677 through the PAC Tournament, the most of any Bison in the rally-scoring era (2001).
The freshman served as the back bone of a defense that held its' opponents under a .100 hitting percentage on 16 separate occasions. The Green & White also ranked first in the PAC in total digs (2,330), while sitting third in opponents' hitting percentage (.129).
Parker posted three of the Bison's top five dig performances this season, including 32 digs against both Case Western Reserve and Saint Vincent College. She posted double-digit digs in every match over the course of the regular season, and in 37 of the 38 games, overall. She eclipsed 20 digs on 17 separate occasions, and reached the 30-dig plateau, three times.
Along with her defensive prowess in the back row, Parker also helped fuel the Bethany offense, leading the Bison and the PAC in total aces (59). Her .49 aces per set ranked second in the conference as she helped the Green & White rank first among PAC counterparts in total aces (243).
McKenzie earned her third-straight First-Team All-PAC selection as she led the Bethany offense throughout the 2015 campaign. The Rookie of the Year in 2013, McKenzie has continued to prove herself, leading the PAC in total kills over the course of the regular season. Following post-season action, McKenzie finished second in total kills with 377.
McKenzie, who hit a career high .260 on the year, totaled double-digit kills on 20 separate occasions during the span of her junior campaign. She reached at least 15 kills three times, including a season-best 21 in a four-set win over Case Western Reserve in the final match of the regular season.
Along with her kill totals, McKenzie also added 62.0 total blocks, including 10 solo. She was responsible for 413 total points on the year, the second most by any Bison player. Against conference opponents, McKenzie upped her game, averaging 3.08 kills per set while hitting .316.
Joining Parker and McKenzie on the All-PAC list were a trio of players who were tabbed as second-team selections. Mackenzie Lauber (Mansfield, Ohio/Madison), Dakota McKenzie (Hopewell, Ohio/West Muskingum) and Arielle Sanders (Maple Heights, Ohio/Maple Heights), were all given second-team nods.
Lauber earned her third All-PAC recognition and her fourth all-conference honor overall in her collegiate career (also earned all-conference selection at Bluffton University as a freshman). The second-team laurel marks her first as a Bison after earning First-Team All-PAC honors in 2013 and 2014.
Working in a two-setter system for the first time in her career, Lauber ranked second in the PAC in total assists, finishing with 747. Her 6.02 assists per set ranked fifth in the conference. Along with her assist total, Lauber tallied 61 kills and added 34 aces and 188 digs.
McKenzie earned her third All-PAC honor, posting her first second-team selection after being named a first-team pick in 2014 and an honorable mention selection in 2013.
The junior outside hitter ranked second on the team and third in the PAC in total kills, posting 369 on the season. She averaged 2.91 kills per set, ranking sixth among conference counterparts. McKenzie posted 17 double-digit kill performances, including a season-high 16 against nationally ranked Juniata (currently ranked third in the AVCA Top 25).
Along with her kill total, McKenzie turned in an all-around performance during the year, adding 30 service aces and 56 blocks, ranking first on the team in total points with 433. She also ranked third on the team in total digs, posting 286. McKenzie finished the year with a team-high seven double-doubles.
Sanders earned her first All-PAC award as she was given a second-team nod following her best career season in 2015. Over the span of the year, Sanders appeared in 34 matches, playing in 125 sets.
Holding down the middle of the rotation, Sanders helped the Green & White rank first in the PAC in blocks per set (1.91). With her at the center, the Bison also led the conference in total blocks, finishing with 248.0. Individually, Sanders ranked first in the PAC in total blocks, posting a career-high 110. She totaled 87 block assists, as well as 23 solo.
Offensively, Sanders ranked fourth on the team in total kills, tallying a career-high 256 while averaging 2.05 per set. She also played efficiently, ranking fifth in the conference in hitting percentage (.276). She reached double figures in kills eight times on the year, including a career-best 15, twice.
Rounding out the list is senior Julia Mouch (Toledo, Ohio/Sylvania Southview), who earned an honorable mention selection. The honor marks her fourth-consecutive All-PAC award, becoming just the fourth player in for the Bison in the rally-scoring era to accomplish the feat (Caci Iwaniec, Lauren Spegal, Jessica Zavatchen).
Mouch made the move from libero to outside hitter for her senior campaign, finishing the year with a career-high 178 kills. She also ranked second on the team with 526 digs, posting double-digit digs in 30 matches. She finished the regular season with a pair of double-doubles, including a 16 kill and 17 digs performance against Ohio Wesleyan.
Offensively, Mouch totaled a pair of double-digit kill performances, and posted at least eight kills, eight times. She also ranked second on the team in service aces (40).
Overall, the Bison put six players on the All-PAC list, marking the most by the team since the program's inception in 1987.
