Maple Leaf volleyball athletes receive post-season conference and regional awards

GOSHEN, Ind. – The Goshen College volleyball program made history in the 2007 season as Peni Acayo, a first-year outside hitter from Kampala, Uganda, received multiple awards, including Region VIII Freshman of the Year, Mid-Central College Conference (MCC) Freshman of the Year and MCC All Conference First team.

Setter Allison Hawkins (Soph., Middlebury, Ind.) and outside hitter Brittany Herschberger (Soph., Goshen) received Honorable Mention recognition in the MCC Conference as well. “These awards, along with our improved record, signify a turning point in our program here. What a great improvement over last year … to have three names from the Goshen College volleyball roster among top players identified in the conference and to have other coaches acknowledge that we have the best first-year player in the region,” coach Jewel Lehman said. “All three of these underclassmen athletes performed very well this year.”

At the volleyball program’s awards banquet in November, Acayo thanked her coaches and teammates for being a part of her dream come true:  to play volleyball in the United States. “Last year when I was in Uganda, I posted a picture of the team on my living room wall and prayed that someday I might be in the team photo at Goshen College,” she said. Acayo then pointed to her plaques and explained that these awards are the team’s awards and not hers. “I could not do anything out there on the court by myself,” she added.

Acayo’s talent and hard work are evidenced by the statistics she attained this season. A colossal threat on offense, she totaled 453 kills this season with an average of 4.59 per game. Conference attack statistics placed her first in kills per game among all hitters in the conference. Her attack efficiency was the highest on the Goshen College team at .258 and tied her with Taylor University’s Emilie York for fourth place in the conference.

Acayo was named to the University of Michigan Dearborn All-Tournament Team at the end of September for an outstanding weekend of play during which she attacked a total of 238 times, 88 were pounded to the floor for kills. After this tournament, however, Peni struggled with a pulled muscle in her shoulder. She pushed through some pain mid-season and the coaches were able to give her enough rest and recovery time for the muscle to repair itself without sacrificing much in the way of contribution to the team and her statistical performance.

“Peni Acayo is an amazing athlete but even more importantly she is a truly remarkable person” Lehman said. “Peni is strong in her faith giving credit for success to God and to her teammates. She works very hard to succeed in volleyball and she is focused on her academic goals as well. It is so much fun to have her as a part of the team because she is very talented but also so humble and appreciative. I have been blessed by the stories she shared and I appreciate her perspective which is new and exciting for us.”

Much of the team’s success on offense this year is credited to Hawkins, the primary setter. “Alli is the type of player who is always looking to better the ball and elevate her game. She is such a hard worker and it is clear that she is gaining maturity in both the technical and tactical aspects of the game,” said Lehman. Allison was one of the top setters in the conference, averaging 10.6 assists per game, placing her second in this category. She was also named to the University of Michigan Dearborn All-Tournament Team, in addition to Honorable Mention in the MCC.

Hawkins is a 2006 Bethany Christian Schools graduate and is majoring in business.

Herschberger, primary passer and outside hitter, also received Honorable Mention recognition due to her consistent performance on the court in the front row and the back. As the best passer on the team, she recorded a service receive rating of 2.01 (on a 3 point scale) and an average of 3.62 digs per game. These digging stats situated her in the top 15 players in the conference. On offense she served 41 aces and totaled more than 200 kills during the season.

“Brittany is such a tough competitor all the way around. Her recognition is tied to the fact that her name shows up multiple times when you look at the top 20 player lists for statistical categories in the conference. She passes accurately, can control her serve well and works around the blockers at the net,” Lehman said.

Herschberger graduated from Fairfield High School in 2006 and is majoring in biology.

“We have a lot of talent and there is a strong competitive spirit in the volleyball program right now,” Lehman said. “Perhaps the most remarkable aspect is that there are other young players on the team who are coming on strong and they will no doubt move into the top conference statistical categories in the future. We are pleased with the progress and anticipate much success in the future.”

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Mid-Central Conference. For the latest scores, game recaps and recruiting news, visit the official site of Goshen College Athletics at: www.GoLeafs.net.