USA South announces All-Conference awards for fall sports

Fayetteville, NC - The USA South has announced its All-Conference awards for volleyball and soccer.  North Carolina Wesleyan had 17 athletes earn recognition, while three Bishops were named to their respective All-Sportsmanship teams.  Among the 17 honorees, there were six First Team picks, four Second Team picks, three Third Team picks, and four Honorable Mentions.  Leading the way were junior Danny Persson of men's soccer and freshman Mackenzie Tingle of volleyball. Persson was tabbed the league's Player of the Year, while Tingle garnered Rookie of the Year accolades.

Tingle (right) became the first North Carolina Wesleyan player in history to earn volleyball's Rookie of the Year honor after a stellar regular season that saw her average 8.4 assists per set, which ranked second in the USA South. The Clearbrook, VA native has amassed 991 assists thusfar this season and has also tallied 120 kills, 232 digs, 61 service aces, 36 blocks, and a .332 hitting percentage. Tingle received First Team All-Conference honors and was named USA South Rookie of the Week once this season.

She was joined on the First Team by junior teammate Brittany Insley, who becomes just the second Bishop in program history to garner First Team recognition in back-to-back seasons. Insley, an Arlington, Ohio native, turned in another banner year with 403 kills, 277 digs, and 114 blocks thusfar. She was named the league's Player of the Week on four occasions, while early in the season, she became Wesleyan's all-time kills leader with the 1,083rd of her career.

Freshman Leslie Hassell and senior Sydney Bens round out head coach Robin Pietryk's honorees. Hassell was named to the league's Third Team after recording 290 kills and 243 digs, while Bens earned Honorable Mention accolades and All-Sportsmanship honors. Bens currently has 224 kills and 275 digs on the season.

Tingle, Insley, Hassell, and Bens helped lead the Bishops to their second consecutive 20-win season with a 26-7 current mark.  Wesleyan turned in a runner-up finish in the USA South and has earned a trip to the USA South Tournament semifinals on Friday.

Senior Reva McCloud (left) of Norfolk, VA led Wesleyan's award-winners in women's soccer, grabbing Second Team accolades for the fourth time in her career.  She led the Bishops with 26 points this season (6 goals, 14 assists), including three game-winning goals.  Her 14 assists, in fact, tie the program's season record set in 1993.

McCloud was joined on the All-Conference team by teammates Meredith Hester (Reston, VA), Tori Tenner (Woodbridge, VA), Rachel Hernandez (Endwell, NY), and Lauren Stearns (Broomall, PA). Hester and Tenner each were named to the Third Team, followed by Hernandez and Stearns as Honorable Mentions.

A junior forward, Hester led the Bishops this season with 12 goals scored, while Tenner and Hernandez controlled the Bishop midfield and combined for seven goals and four assists. Stearns, who is also a senior, anchored Wesleyan's defensive efforts throughout the season.  Senior defender Mikey Case was NCWC's All-Sportsmanship representative.

The Bishops, under the direction of second-year head coach Beverly Biancur, turned in a 6-10-1 mark this season and finished with a 4-4-1 USA South mark.

Head men's soccer coach Jason Kilby produced the remaining eight selections.  Robert Ivanovich, Benjamin Schmedes, Oliver Madejski, and Persson were all named to the First Team, while freshmen Owen White, Christopher Helms, and Ousman Sarr were tabbed Second Teamers.  Finally, freshman Porir Gudnason was an Honorable Mention at goalkeeper.

A native of Umea, Sweden, Persson (right) earned First Team All-Conference honors and led the USA South with 52 points and 23 goals scored. His point and goal totals, in fact, each set new Wesleyan single-season records. Additionally, Persson tied for the league-lead in gamewinning goals with four. He was named USA South Player of the Week three times this fall.

Ivanovich (Nokesville, VA) landed on the First Team for the first time in his career after garnering Second Team and Honorable Mention accolades in his first two seasons.  He tallied six goals and six assists from the midfield during the regular season. Both defenders, Schmedes (Hanover, Germany) and Madejski (Hamburg, Germany) helped lead the Bishop defense to nine shutouts thusfar this season. Schmedes was also the Bishops' All-Sportsmanship representative.

On the Second Team, White (Stockton, England) was selected at the forward slot, and Helms (Hamburg, Germany) and Sarr (Raleigh, NC) were chosen in the midfield. White is currently second on the team with 23 points (9 goals, 5 assists), while Helms' 13 assists is the second highest season total in program history. Sarr has contributed eight goals and three assists for 19 points.

Gudnason (Hafnarfjordur, Iceland) rounds out Wesleyan's honorees as an Honorable Mention pick. The rookie goalkeeper recorded a 0.59 goals against average this season, which is a new program record. Additionally, he tallied five shutouts and a 7-1 overall record.

Wesleyan (13-3-1) is currently preparing to host the semifinals and finals of the USA South Tournament this Friday and Saturday.

Congratulations to all of our Bishop athletes on a job well done!

To view the complete All-Conference teams in each sport, including Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Coach of the Year honors, please visit www.usasouth.net.