BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – Four West Liberty University volleyball standouts earned All-Mountain East Conference recognition on Wednesday when the MEC coaches released the results of their All-Conference balloting.
    Senior middle blocker Madison Clayton was a first-team All-MEC honors for the third straight season with sophomore libero Nyia Setla picking up her second consecutive second-team All-MEC award. Junior setter/right side Kirsten Bogunovich received honorable mention in the voting while outside hitter Riley Cudnik was named to the MEC All-Freshman Team.
    The four honorees were major factors in leading Coach Riley Schenk's Hilltoppers to another 20-win season and a Top 10 ranking in the Atlantic Region.
    Clayton, a 6-5 graduate student from Roseville, Ohio and now a 4-time All-MEC selection, ranks among the MEC stat leaders in numerous categories. A dominant performer at the net, Clayton leads the conference and ranks No. 4 nationally with 137 blocks and ranks among the league's Top 10 in kills, hitting percentage and points scored. She is the school's career leader in hitting percentage and is closing in on the single-season record for blocks/set.
    Setla, a 5-6 libero/defensive specialist from Northville, Mich., also checks off several boxes for the Hilltoppers. Making a run at the school single-season record, she ranks No. 2 in the MEC and No. 4 nationally with 657 digs and leads the MEC with 48 service aces.
    Bogunovich, a 5-11 setter/right side hitter from Alliance, Ohio, was a jack of all trades for the Black and Gold with 14 double-doubles and one triple-double. She is threatening the school single-season record with more than 800 assists – including 8 matches with 35 or more. She also had 8 matches with double-figure kills and 9 with double-figure digs.
    Cudnik, a 6-1 outside hitter from Canal Fulton, Ohio, teamed with Clayton to give West Liberty a formidable presence at the net. She had 204 kills, 75 digs and 46 total blocks in 99 sets during her debut season at West Liberty.
    West Virginia State's Jenna Dufresne was voted MEC Player of the Year with Wheeling All-American Audrey Francis earning Libero of the Year for the fifth straight season. Mady Winters of Wheeling was MEC Freshman of the Year and West Virginia State head man Kris Kern took Coach of the Year honors.
    Ranked No. 10 in the latest NCAA Division II Atlantic Region poll, the Hilltoppers open MEC Tournament play on Thursday when they take on Davis & Elkins at noon in the first of four quarterfinal matches at West Virginia State.
         -Player of the Year: Jenna Dufresne (W.Va. State)
     -Libero of the Year: Audrey Francis (Wheeling)
     -Freshman of the Year: Mady Winters (Wheeling)
     -Coach of the Year: Kris Kern (W.Va. State) Pos.            Name                                    School
OH               Beverly Braun                      Frostburg State
MB              MADISON CLAYTON          WEST LIBERTY
OH               Julia DiPaola                        Fairmont State
OH               Jenna Dufresne                   W.Va. State
L                  Audrey Francis                    Wheeling
S                  Lilianna Keber                      Fairmont State
OH               Macie Magallon                  Davis & Elkins
MH              Grace Martin                       W.Va. State
RS                Lexi Reinert                          Wheeling Pos.            Name                                    School
OH               Sage Bearnson                     Charleston
OH               Gabrielle Bullock                 W.Va. State
MH              McKenzie Carpenter          Wheeling
RS                Molly Jandris                        Davis & Elkins
S                  Maria Hernandez                Charleston
L                  Amelia Kaeberlein              Notre Dame
S                  Karly Niesen                         Wheeling
L                  NYIA SETLA                          WEST LIBERTY      S: Brilane Manchego (DE)
     S/RS: KIRSTEN BOGUNOVICH (WLU), Kierston Eggleston (WVSU)
     MB: Lexi Smith (WU), Mady Winters (WU)
     OH: Keara Lewis (FAIR), Hannah Steele (CU)
     OPP/RS: Kelsey Palmer (NDC) Pos.            Name                                    School
OH               RILEY CUDNIK                     WEST LIBERTY
DS/L            Karli Edwards                       Fairmont State
RS                Reagan Phillips                    Charleston
MB              Gracjana Rozanska             Davis & Elkins
OH               Hannah Steele                     Concord
MB              AJ Thompson                       Frostburg State
MB              Mady Winters                      Wheeling