TOWSON, Md. - The Landmark Conference released its 2023 Volleyball All-Conference and award selections on Tuesday, as nominated and voted on by the league's 10 head coaches.
Player of the Year: Mackenzie Coley (Juniata College)
Specialist of the Year: Kiona Sky Rousset-Hernandez (Juniata College)
Rookie of the Year: Cammi Quirk (University of Scranton)
Coaching Staff of the Year: Juniata College
Mackenzie Coley joins a long list of outstanding volleyball players from Juniata to be named the league's Player of the Year. Her remarkable achievement is the 14th selection in the Landmark's 17-year history.
Coley's stellar performance in the 2023 campaign played a pivotal role in guiding the Eagles to their 16th consecutive Landmark title last Saturday, triumphing over The University of Scranton with a 3-1 victory. During the match, Coley finished with 11 kills, a .370 hitting percentage, and two blocks. For the season, she leads the league in hitting percentage (.398), boasting an impressive 308 kills, along with 16 solo blocks and 39 assisted blocks, totaling 55.
Kiona Sky Rousset-Hernandez secured the title of Specialist of the Year for the second consecutive year. Anchoring the Eagle's defense, she has been instrumental in limiting opponents to a mere 7.05 kills per set and amassing an impressive 357 digs throughout the season. She also ranks in the top 10 in service aces with 49.
Cammi Quirk, a standout player from the University of Scranton, clinched the Rookie of the Year title, becoming the second Scranton setter and third overall to earn this recognition. Quirk made an immediate impact, tallying 617 assists, 27 kills, and seven service aces in her debut season.
Under the leadership of Juniata College head coach Heather Pavlik and her staff, Casey Dale, Erin Smith, Kate Hutton, Jeremiah, and Emma Pinkston, the Eagles put together a flawless 27-0 overall regular season record, including a perfect 9-0 in conference play. This season's remarkable achievement marks the fourth instance in program history that Juniata concluded the regular season undefeated, previously achieving this feat in 1977, 1996, and 2003. The recent conference championship title also marked the 42nd overall for the program.
Juniata will host one of the NCAA Division III Volleyball Regionals from November 16-18. The Eagles commence their journey against Penn State Altoona in the first round of the eight-team pod on Thursday, November 16 at 7:00 p.m.