Staff report
Catawba volleyball standout Melissa Powers has been named SAC Female Athlete of the Year.
Powers was SAC Volleyball Player of the Year after leading the league in kills and placing second in blocks.
The senior broke the school record with 37 kills in Catawba’s opening match and set records for kills in a season (674) and career (1,884).
Powers was named to the AVCA All-America third team. She was Southeast Region Player of the Year, made the Academic all-district team and was named AVCA National Player of the Week for the second time in her career.
Powers is the SAC’s first Division II All-American to receive recognition higher than honorable mention.
“Melissa developed into our go-to player after her first year,” Catawba volleyball coach Ginger Hamric said. “She had an exemplary work ethic and made those around her better. She was an all-around player and not just front row.”
Powers becomes the third Catawba female to win the SAC award and second in four years, following golfer Paige Haverty in 2006. Former volleyball and basketball standout Amy Peters earned the honor in 1993. Marvin Moore (1999) is Catawba’s lone Male Athlete of the Year honoree.
Tusculum quarterback Corey Russell was the SAC Male Athlete of the Year.
Russell’s 11,315 yards of total offense were the second-highest in SAC history. He threw 82 touchdown passes in his career.