AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Peach Belt Conference announced the 2016 Volleyball All-Conference Team on Thursday night and Augusta University middle blocker Jessica Hedrick was named the PBC Freshman of the Year while sophomore Blair Bolton earned second team All-Conference honors. The All-Conference team was announced Thursday night at the awards banquet on the eve of the PBC Tournament in Milledgeville, Ga.
Montevallo's Kristy Bohan was named the PBC Player of the Year while Augusta's Jessica Hedrick was named the Freshman of the Year. USC Aiken's Danielle Mercer was named the Libero/Defensive Specialist of the Year, Emily Teelon the Setter of the Year and Glenn Cox the Coach of the Year. All awards are selected by the league's head coaches.
Jessica Hedrick (St. Louis, Mo.) is the fourth Peach Belt Freshman of the Year in the history of the volleyball program - joining Alex Rohlfing (2011), Jessica Howard (2006), and Shelley Taylor (1995).
Hedrick ranked eighth in the league with a .288 hitting percentage in the regular season. She started in all 32 matches for the Augusta Jaguars this season, averaging 2.10 kills and 0.82 blocks per set. The freshman from St. Louis, Mo., was 10th in the PBC with a .292 hitting percentage. A middle blocker for the Jags, she was second in the league with 102 total blocks this year. She had a season-high 15 kills against Carson-Newman and had 13 kills last Sunday in the regular-season finale against Flagler.
Blair Bolton (Lawrenceville, Ga.) recorded 179 kills (2.63 kps) in Peach Belt play during the regular season to rank 14th in the league. Her .242 hitting percentage was the 13th best in PBC competition and her 199 points were 16th best. Overall on the season, Bolton ranked third for the Jaguars in kills and blocks and played all 32 matches. For the regular season in all matches she averaged 2.57 kills per set and totaled 362.5 points.
The conference tourney begins this Friday, Nov. 18 on the campus of Georgia College. The Jags drew the sixth seed and face second-seeded Armstrong State at 2:00 p.m. on Friday.
Read the full All-Conference release from the PBC by clicking here
Peach Belt Conference Volleyball 2016 All-Conference Team
First Team
Kristy Bohan, Montevallo
Caroline Boone, Francis Marion
Sara Davis, Flagler
Halle Dotson, Lander
Raegan Grooms, Armstrong State
Taylor Stratton, USC Aiken
Emily Teelon, USC Aiken
Second Team
Blair Bolton, Augusta
Carley Eiken, Armstrong State
Julia Forster, USC Aiken
Megan Hooks, Flagler
Raquel Kulak, Armstrong State
Mary McCarty, Columbus State
Danielle Mercer, USC Aiken
Tara Savisky, Flagler
Freshman of the Year
Jessica Hedrick, Augusta
Elite 15 Award presented by EAB
Katie Ray, Georgia College
Libero/Defensive Specialist of the Year
Danielle Mercer, USC Aiken
Setter of the Year
Emily Teelon, USC Aiken
Player of the Year
Kristy Bohan, Montevallo
Coach of the Year
Glenn Cox, USC Aiken
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