All-MEC selections released for volleyball, softball

By Jon Dykstra | October 25, 2017 |

Emma Baldwin

The Maryville volleyball team made a big leap forward this season earning the top seed in district play making it within a set of winning the district tournament.

The Spoofhounds were rewarded with five players earning postseason honors from either the Class 3, District 16 or the Midland Empire Conference.

The Hounds were led by the steady presence of their outstanding senior class and supplemented by a talented group of freshman. The awards reflect that.

Senior Abby Loe was selected as First Team All-District and First Team All-MEC.

Loe was second on the team with 144 kill this season and recorded 344 digs along with 30 aces.

Freshman Serena Sundell joins Loe on both the First Team All-District and First Team All-MEC.

Sundell was a major reason for the program’s leap to the district’s top seed. She led the team with 169 kills and also had 104 digs, 37 aces and 31 blocks.

Senior Leah Maass found herself on the Second Team All-District. When Sundell wasn’t anchoring the middle of the Maryville front line, Maass was.

She finished with 100 kills, 85 digs, 59 aces and 16 blocks.

Senior Abby Pitts was named among the honorable mention selections in the MEC. Pitts was a multipurpose star for the Spoofhounds this season.

A setter for her first three years with the program, Pitts began the year as the primary setter, but as freshman Macy Loe gained confidence in the system, Pitts got more attack chances as the year went along.

Pitts finished with 278 assists, 41 kills, 125 digs and 31 aces.

Macy Loe also found herself among the honorable mentions in the conference. She finished with 203 assists, 161 digs, 41 aces and 12 kills.

The program will certainly miss the talents of Abby Loe, Maass, Pitts and the rest of the senior class, but with a weapon like Sundell and a setter like Macy Loe to build around for three more years, the future of Maryville volleyball is very bright.

SOFTBALL

Maryville softball had five players make the All-MEC selections and all are scheduled to return to the team next season as they continue to build.

Catcher Emma Baldwin made the second team. The junior hit .328 this season. She also played shortstop when she didn’t catch.

Junior outfielder Jacklyn Hersh was an honorable mention selection after hitting .433 and sophomore pitcher Riley Gray was an honorable mention pick after leading the team in ERA and wins this season.

Freshmen Briley Watkins and Ashlyn Alexander each made the honorable mention infielder list. Alexander, a first baseman and pitcher, hit .407 this season. Watkins played catcher and shortstop and batted .286.