Photo by APSU Athletics
It’s almost as if the Ohio Valley Conference created its Setter of the Year award with Austin Peay State University volleyball’s Kristen Stucker in mind. For the third consecutive year, the league’s coaches and sports information contacts named the Governors senior setter as the best in the conference – in just the fourth year of the award’s existence. Stucker received that award as part of the OVC awards banquet, Wednesday night, preceding the start of the OVC Volleyball Championship.
Stucker also was named First-Team All-OVC for a third consecutive year. She was joined on the OVC’s 15-member first-team by seniors Cecily Gable and Logan Carger. Stucker is the second APSU volleyball player to receive First-Team All-OVC recognition three times in their career, joining alumnae Nikki Doyle (2010-12). Gable and Carger each earned their first First-Team All-OVC honor.
“After graduating so much of our offense and ball control after last season, it has been awesome to see us continue the success of last season and build on it,” said Governors head coach Taylor Mott. “Winning a conference title is never an easy thing to do and winning a championship twice in a row is something our team will never forget. Kristen, Cecily and Logan have been a big part of our success this season but every member of this team has stepped up and played to new heights this season.”
In addition, Mott was named the OVC Coach of the Year for a second consecutive year. She earns the award after leading Austin Peay to back-to-back regular season titles for the first time in program history. It is the sixth-time an APSU head coach has received the Coach of the Year citation from the league, Mott joining APSU Hall of Fame member Cheryl Holt who earned the award four times (1986, 1987, 1991 and 1992).
Stucker, of Johnston, Iowa, again was the league’s best setter – both overall (11.13 assists per set) and in OVC play (11.17 assists per set). A true all-round player, she also was fourth among Governors players in digs (2.67 per set), third in blocks (0.45 per set) and second in service aces (0.25 per set). All while leading the Governors to a .240 team attack percentage that currently ranks second-best in program history behind the 2010 OVC championship team.
“Kristen has been impressive just in her ability to improve every season,” said Mott. “This season she’s been more of an offensive weapon which has only added to her great all-round play. It truly says something about the way she runs our offense that we’ve had two our most efficient seasons with her running the offense.”
Memphis’ Gable enjoyed the best season of her career, leading the Govs with 355 kills (3.38 per set) and finishing fifth among the OVC’s hitters. She also posted a career best 219 digs – more than triple her previous career high – and a career-high 37 blocks. Gable posted two 20-kill outings during the season, including a 21-kill effort in the regular-season finale at Eastern Illinois that helped Austin Peay clinch the 2018 OVC title outright.
“Cecily has stepped in and filled the gap that graduation left in our offense,” Mott said. “She has also become a contributor as a passer and attacker out of the back row. Cecily has become a complete six-rotation outside hitter this season which has made it tough for teams to defend her.”
Houston-product Carger also has enjoyed the best season of her career with career highs in kills (191, 2.12 per set) and blocks (58, 0.64 per set). Carger was particularly impressive in the regular season’s final nine matches where she led the Govs with 30 blocks (0.83 per set), averaged 2.44 kills per set and posted a team-best .372 attack percentage down the stretch.
“Logan really found her groove in the middle this season,” said Mott. “She became one of our top offensive weapons in the middle and really stepped up her game late in the season. I believe this year Logan has transitioned from a middle hitter to a middle blocker.”
Austin Peay now turns its focus to the OVC Volleyball Championship, where it seeks to defend its 2017 title. The top-seeded Governors will face No. 8 seed Tennessee State in a 7 p.m., Thursday contest that will conclude the opening day’s schedule.
Admission is free to all matches of the OVC Volleyball Championship at the Winfield Dunn Center. In addition, all seven matches of the tournament can be viewed online – Thursday’s matches on ESPN3 with Friday and Saturday’s contests on ESPN+.
Courtesy of APSU Athletics
