Many Bobcats received All-MAC honors Thursday.
The only Mid-American Conference honors Ohio didn’t capture was freshman of the year.
The Bobcats dominance over the rest of the MAC was personified Thursday. They took home three of the four conference awards including Player of the Year which went to junior setter Abby Gilleland.
This is the second straight year Gilleland has received the award. She’s the third player in Ohio history to win it in back-to-back seasons joining Laura Hageman (2002, 2003) and Ellen Herman (2008, 2009).
Gilleland also took home MAC Setter of the Year honors for the second consecutive season. She is the first Bobcat in program history to repeat as the conference’s best setter tallying 1041 assists on the season. She also needs just 15 more kills to eclipse her career high of 159.
Junior libero Meredith Ashy also received recognition. Ashy was named MAC Defensive Player of the Year after setting a career high with 4.82 digs per set. Despite having nearly 70 less digs this season, her impact on the opponents increased.
Near the end of the season, teams from the MAC stopped hitting to Ashy preferring to hit at the likes of Gilleland and senior outside hitter Kelly Lamberti. Ashy has developed the reputation as the best hitter in the MAC as teams gameplan around her offensively.
Ashy and Gilleland were two of four players that were named to the All-MAC First Team as Kelly Lamberti and junior middle blocker Karin Bull were selected as well. This is the fourth time that Lamberti has been named to the team while for Ashy, Gilleland, and Bull it was all their second time being named to the team.
Freshman outside hitter Jaime Kosiorek got named to the All-MAC Freshman Team after finishing second on the team with 250 kills. Kosiorek lead the Bobcats in service aces with 42 on the season which ranks her 17th nationally.
The final season award, coach of the year, will be announced after the conclusion of the MAC Tournament. Ohio coach Deane Webb could receive the honor after completing an undefeated MAC regular season in his first year.
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