WJU VB All-MEC First Team members (L-R): Jessica Thobe, Andrea Thobe and Kayce Krucki

Volleyball 11/18/2015 4:43:00 PM Chris Myers

Cardinals’ Krucki Voted MEC Player of the Year, Thobe and Benner Highlight Other Honors

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – After it third-straight perfect league season, Wheeling Jesuit's Kayce Krucki led the team's postseason honors as she was voted Mountain East Conference Player of the Year. The Cardinals' outside hitter is joined by Jessica Thobe, the Libero of the Year, and head coach Christy Benner as the Coach of the Year.

Along with the three award winners, setter Jessica Thobe received All-MEC First Team, while Haley Kindall, Emma Schleucher and Lauran Graves earned All-MEC Second Team. Graves also was named to the All-MEC Freshman Team.

"I am happy for for the award recipients. All of them together made us what we are this year," said WJU head coach and MEC Coach of the Year Christy Benner.

Krucki and her teammates helped WJU to its ninth 30-win season in a row at 30-4 and one of only two NCAA Division II teams to reach that win total in the regular season.

WJU will attempt to capture its fourth MEC Tournament title starting Thursday night, Nov. 19. The Cardinals host the three-day tournament as the No. 1 seed and face No. 8 West Virginia Wesleyan in the quarterfinals starting at 7:30 p.m.

Krucki, a junior from Findlay, Ohio, led the Cardinals with 305 kills over 110 sets. She was second on the team and ninth in the MEC with 2.77 kills per set. Kayce also was second with 354 digs and recorded nine double-doubles for kills and digs in a match. The third-year hitter's best game came in an 18-kill and 15-dig night against the University of Indianapolis.

Along with the MEC Player of the Year award, Krucki was voted to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team. She is a two-time American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Atlantic Region First Team and All-MEC First Team member.

The Cardinals' top passer, Jessica Thobe, has anchored the team's defense in her final season. The Sidney, Ohio product led WJU and was second in the league with 5.01 digs per set. Jessica totaled 546 digs over 109 sets, while she added 16 service aces and 19 set assists. After being a defensive specialist/outside hitter last year, the All-MEC First Team senior posted a season-high 28 digs at UVa-Wise and had 12 matches with 19-plus digs.

For the third time in as many years, coach Benner received the MEC Coach of the Year honors via voting by her coaching peers. Benner's WJU teams are a perfect 48-0 in the regular season and 54-0 overall counting the last two MEC tournaments against league teams. The Cardinals also have won 162 of a possible 166 sets over the same time span.

Completing the All-MEC First Team members, Andrea Thobe makes her second appearance on the squad. The third-year setter from Sidney, Ohio, was the top MEC assist producer and tied for fifth in the NCAA Division II ranks with 12.05 assists per set. The 2014 MEC Player of the Year handed out 1,320 assists over 110 sets. The 2014 AVCA All-Atlantic Region member set a season-high 69 kills in a five-set win at the University of Indianapolis. Andrea averaged 38.8 assists per match with 14 matches with 40-plus assists.

Kindall, Schleucher and Graves completed the six WJU honorees on the All-MEC Second Team. Even though she was second in the league hitting percentage (.363) and third with 2.99 kills per set, Kindall garnered only second team status. The 2014 AVCA All-American Third Team awardee, Haley registered 279 kills over 94 sets, while totaling 77 total blocks. The middle blocker from Westerville, Ohio, netted a season-high 17 kills against both the University of Indianapolis and University of Findlay. The two-time AVCA All-Atlantic Region First Team and two-time All-MEC First Team player downed at least 11 kills in a match 12 times.

Schleucher of Findlay, Ohio makes her third-straight All-MEC appearance. The right side hitter ranked in the MEC leaders in three categories – fourth in aces per set (0.37/set), fifth in hitting percentage (.322) and 10^th in kills per set (2.63/set). The 2014 AVCA All-American Honorable Mention and All-Atlantic Region First Team player belted a season-high 18 kills at the University of Indianapolis and added 16 kills versus nationally-ranked Minnesota-Duluth. The all-around player paced the Cardinals with 38 service aces, while she dug 140 attacks, handed out 62 set assists and accounted for 57 total blocks. Schleucher served up at least three aces five times with a season-best four against Urbana.

The youngest WJU honoree, Graves rounded out the all-conference players. Despite leading the MEC in both hitting and blocking, the Toldeo, Ohio native earned only All-MEC Second Team acclaim. The first-year WJU middle blocker hit .431 and was the only MEC hitter with an over .400 attack percentage and one of only nine in all of NCAA DII, where she finished the regular season second in the nation. The MEC All-Freshman Team member also was league's top blocker with 1.10 blocks per set. She completed her first regular season with 244 kills in 473 attacks with only 40 errors to go with 110 total blocks, including 17 solo blocks. Lauran smacked a season-best 17 kills at the University of Indianapolis and hit another 15 kills against nationally-ranked Colorado School of Mines.

The All-MEC teams are selected by a vote of the league's coaches.

2015 MEC Individual Awards
Player of the Year: Kayce Krucki (Wheeling Jesuit) Libero of the Year: Jessica Thobe (Wheeling Jesuit) Freshman of the Year: Stephanie Leonard (West Liberty) Coach of the Year: Christy Benner (Wheeling Jesuit)
2015 All-MEC First Team
Pos.	Name	School	Cl.	Hometown
OH	Karley Allen	UVa-Wise	Jr.	Lanexa, Va.
OH	Katlynn Dunlap	Urbana	So.	Zoarville, Ohio
MB	Randi Estrada	Charleston	Sr.	Kea'au, Hawaii
RS	Mackenzie Harrison	Fairmont State	So.	Twinsburg, Ohio
OH	Erin Harwood	Fairmont State	Sr.	Cary, N.C.
OH	Kayce Krucki	Wheeling Jesuit	Jr.	Findlay, Ohio
OH	Samantha Scroggins	Shepherd	Sr.	Plainfield, Ill.
S	Andrea Thobe	Wheeling Jesuit	Jr.	Sidney, Ohio
L	Jessica Thobe	Wheeling Jesuit	Sr.	Sidney, Ohio

2015 All-MEC Second Team
Pos.	Name	School	Cl.	Hometown
MB	Sophie Foster	Shepherd	Fr.	Martinsburg, W.Va.
OH	Lauran Graves	Wheeling Jesuit	Fr.	Toledo, Ohio
MB	Brooke Heck	Concord	Fr.	Huntington, W.Va.
RS	Mia Herrod	Charleston	Fr.	Chicago, Ill.
MB	Haley Kindall	Wheeling Jesuit	Jr.	Westerville, Ohio
OH	Stephanie Leonard	West Liberty	Fr.	Milford, Mich.
L	Courtney Pyeritz	West Liberty	Sr.	Pittsburgh, Pa.
RS	Emma Schleucher	Wheeling Jesuit	Jr.	Findlay, Ohio

2015 All-MEC Honorable Mention
Pos.	Name	School	Cl.	Hometown
RS	Amanda Auxier	UVa-Wise	Fr.	Midlothian, Va.
S	Mary Hendricks	Urbana	Sr.	Urbana, Ohio
MH	Courtney Kress	Fairmont State	Sr.	Aliquippa, Pa.
S	Melissa Reyes	Charleston	Sr.	Lima, Peru
OH	Lindsay Shirilla	Notre Dame	Sr.	Twinsburg, Ohio
OH	Kaitlyn Witsaman	Fairmont State	Sr.	Medina, Ohio

2015 MEC All-Freshman Team
Pos.	Name	School	Cl.	Hometown
RS	Amanda Auxier	UVa-Wise	Fr.	Midlothian, Va.
L	Megan Clerico	Fairmont State	Fr.	Norristown, Pa.
MB	Sophie Foster	Shepherd	Fr.	Martinsburg, W.Va.
MB	Lauran Graves	Wheeling Jesuit	Fr.	Toledeo, Ohio
MB	Brooke Heck	Concord	Fr.	Huntington, W.Va.
RS	Mia Herrod	Charleston	Fr.	Chicago, Ill.
OH	Stephanie Leonard	West Liberty	Fr.	Milford, Mich.
S/RS	Amanda Leonard	West Liberty	Fr.	Milford, Mich.