FOREST, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Volleyball Team has seen two of its players named to the 2014 All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference Teams, ODAC officials announced Tuesday. Sophomore outside hitter Tristen Pennington (Kingsport, Tenn.) earned second-team honors while sophomore middle Kennady Thomason (Chattanooga, Tenn.) was selected to the All-ODAC Third Team.

“Tristen and Kennady have been the heartbeat of our offense together this year,” commented Head Coach Devyn Bayes. “Their combined success has made each player on our team better as they have opened up our offense and created better match ups for all of our hitters. As sophomores, they are setting a high standard for our program moving forward and I am thrilled to have them both around for two more years!”

Pennington led the Wasps with 2.77 kills per set for a total of 288 kills on the season. She also led the squad with 57 service aces. She was second on the team in both digs (322) and digs per set (3.10) while adding 30 blocks and 24 assists on the year. Pennington posted 12 double-doubles on the season and reached double figures in kills on 17 different occasions.

“Tristen paced our program both offensively and defensively as we depended on her toughness both physically and mentally throughout the season,” Bayes continued. “This year, while being a captain, she also grew into her own leadership role with the team. She is a trusted go-to player who is committed to continuously bettering her all-around game.”

Thomason finished the season with a team-high 79 blocks, averaging .72 blocks per set. She led the team in hitting percentage at .289 and was third in kills (237) and kills per set (2.17). Thomason had 17 matches where she recorded eight or more kills and tallied four or more blocks in nine contests.

“Kennady is definitely one of our most intense athletes and sets the tone by bringing high energy to every match,” added Bayes. “She backs up that intensity by leading our team in hitting percentage and blocking. Kennady plays with so much heart while also modeling the urgency and passion that I ask for as a coach.”

Emory & Henry notched an 18-12 overall record this season with a 6-5 mark in ODAC play. It was the most wins in a season the Wasps had back-to-back 20-win campaigns in 2008 and 2009 E&H earned the seventh seed for the ODAC Tournament, falling to Virginia Wesleyan College in the quarterfinals by a 3-1 score.

Randolph-Macon College’s Courtney Lowers was named ODAC Player of the Year while Yellow Jacket mentor Bill Rogers was selected as the ODAC Coach of the Year by his peers. Brooke Bostwick of Roanoke College earned Rookie of the Year honors and Washington and Lee University’s Alex Kinzer was voted as the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Scholar-Athlete.

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-photo courtesy of Caleb Johnston, E&H '15

2014 ALL-ODAC VOLLEYBALL AWARDS 

Player of the Year: Courtney Lowers, Jr., Outside Hitter, Randolph-Macon
Coach of the Year: Bill Rogers, Randolph-Macon
Rookie of the Year: Brooke Bostwick, Fr., Middle Hitter, Roanoke
ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Scholar-Athlete: Alex Kinzer, Jr., Setter, Washington and Lee