Ballard reels in AVCA honorable mention All-Region plaudit
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A day after being named D2CCA second-team All-Southeast Region, Morgan Ballard was named to the A American Volleyball Coaches Association honorable mention All-Region club Wednesday afternoon.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A day after being named D2CCA second-team All-Southeast Region, Morgan Ballard was named to the A American Volleyball Coaches Association honorable mention All-Region club Wednesday afternoon.
"I am so excited for Morgan to be recognized for her hard work," Carson-Newman coach Dave Franklin said. "Morgan has been very coachable and picked up on our system very quickly. She has added to our culture on and off of the floor. I am excited to see Morgan progress over the next couple years."
The Weaverville, N.C. native is the seventh player in program history to earn an all-region honor from the AVCA and first libero. Most recently middle blocker Jenna Wilson was named to top the unit in 2014 with setter Kristen Pickett earning a spot on the honorable mention list.
The sophomore led the league in digs per set with 6.99 ranking third in the nation a mark that would be the top mark in the history of the program passing Young's tally of 6.79 in 2004.
With 790 total digs on the year, the Weaverville, N.C. native is the SAC leader and ranks second nationally. The figure is good for second on the school's ledger, 66 behind Young's 856 in 2004.
Ballard has registered the two highest dig tallies in Division II including a league record 58 digs in a four-set victory over Mars Hill on Sept. 9, 2017 that was the 10th-most in the history of NCAA volleyball. The previous league mark was set by Jenny Young of Catawba versus Tusculum on Sept. 17, 2011 in a five-set outing. Caitlyn Dean held the mark for a SAC athlete in a four-set affair when she racked up 47 for the Pioneers against Anderson (S.C.) on Oct. 27, 2012.
After recording 53 versus Augusta Oct. 14, the sophomore has three of the top six dig efforts in Division II in 2017. She has five matches with at least 40 scoops this season leading the team in passing 28 times.
The Wofford transfer became the first Carson-Newman libero to be named first-team All-South Atlantic Conference since 2005 when Blaire Young was picked to the top unit for the second consecutive season as Ballard becomes the 23rd Eagle to earn first-team honor.
The Southeast Region consists of SAC, the Peach Belt Conference and Conference Carolinas with coaches providing the nominations and the final votes for the squads.
There are 14 players on the Southeast Region unit and six athletes pinned to the honorable mention ledger. 10 of the 20 players recognized were from the SAC including nine on the top group.
Carson-Newman enters the 2017 NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championships Thursday at noon in St. Augustine, Fla. against second-seeded Wingate. Follow @CNathletics on Twitter for updates with the game being stream on Flagler's YouTube channel.
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