Cole Dawley earns AVCA All-South Region Honorable Mention
12/9/2009 11:00:00 PM | Volleyball
For the second time in as many years, College of Charleston junior setter Cole Dawley (Charleston, S.C.) has been recognized as an American Volleyball Coaches Association All-South Region Honorable Mention selection. This follows a tremendous 2009 campaign that saw Dawley help lead the Cougars to their sixth trip to the NCAA Tournament in the last eight years. She was the only member of any Southern Conference team to earn an AVCA honor this season.
“I was very excited for Cole to make the All-Region team” said head coach Jason Kepner. “She has worked extremely hard and is well deserving of this award. Our region is extremely competitive and to be listed with this group is a great honor. I am very glad to have her for another season”.
One of the top players in the Southern Conference all season long, Dawley finished the year with averages of 9.70 assists, 2.62 digs, 1.31 kills, 0.56 blocks and a hitting percentage of .344. She also recorded the second triple-double of her career when she notched 49 assists, 13 digs and 10 kills against Georgia Southern on November 6.
Dawley posted a total of 21 matches with 30-plus assists, including nine such matches between 40-49 and three performances of 50 or better assists. Among those outings was a career-high tying performance of 59 assists and 17 digs against Elon on October 25 and 54 assists, 10 kills and nine digs vs. Furman on November 14.
In addition to setting up the Cougars' offense all year long, she also was a key factor on defense as she notched a team-high 13 double-double efforts, all of the assist and dig variety, and had six matches with at least four blocks. She also tallied a career-high three service aces at Georgia Southern on October 10.
In the 2009 Southern Conference Tournament Championship match against 26-3 Furman, Dawley produced a near flawless performance with 36 assists, 16 digs, seven kills and a .636 hitting percentage in a 3-0 victory.
In addition to her AVCA honor, she was also named to the All-Southern Conference First-Team and All-Tournament Team for the second consecutive season. The Charleston, South Carolina native becomes the first College of Charleston player to earn multiple year-end awards from the AVCA. It is the second straight year that Dawley has been named AVCA All-South Region Honorable Mention and she is the fourth Cougar to earn an AVCA award.
She joins former Cougars Kaycie Carr (2002-05), Mary Sabatino (1999-02) and Stephanie Ballard (1999-03). Carr and Ballard were also Honorable Mention selections in 2004 and 2002, respectively, while Sabatino was the program's only First-Team All-South Region choice following the 2002 season.
The American Volleyball Coaches Association has been naming All-Region and Honorable Mention teams since 1996.
AVCA All-South Region First-Team
Brittnee Cooper - LSU, MB, Sr.
Elyse Cusack - Florida, DS/Lib., Sr.
Nikki Fowler - Tennessee, RS, Jr.
Chloe Goldman - Tennessee, DS/Lib., Sr.
Alex Kelly - Lipscomb, MB, Jr.
Sarah Mendoza - Kentucky, OH, Jr.
Kelly Murphy - Florida, S/OH, So.
Stacy Oladinni - Middle Tennessee State, RS, So.
Stefine Pease - Lipscomb, S, Jr.
Yarimar Rosa - Florida International, OH, Sr.
Sarah Rumely - Kentucky, S, Sr.
Marina Skender - LSU, OH, Sr.
BriAnne Sauer - Kentucky, DS/Lib., Sr.
Natalia Valentin - Florida International, S, Jr.
AVCA All-South Region Freshman of the Year
Jasmine Norton, Arkansas, OH, Fr.
AVCA All-South Region Honorable Mention
Jovana Bjelica, Florida International, OH, Fr.
Samantha Dabbs, LSU, S, Sr.
Emmy Davidsmeyer, Denver , MB, Sr.
Cole Dawley, College of Charleston, S, Jr.
Jasmine Norton, Arkansas, OH, Fr.
Lauren Rapp, Kentucky, RS/Opp.,Jr.
