SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Western Carolina volleyball had three players honored by the Southern Conference on Thursday as the league announced its annual volleyball postseason awards. Freshman Destinee Dorsey was selected as the SoCon Libero of the Year and claimed a spot on the league's all-freshman team where she was joined by classmate Julia Gardon. Junior Merry Gebel was dubbed first-team All-SoCon after guiding the Catamounts to a third-place regular-season finish.
 
It's the first time since 2016 that WCU put multiple players on the all-freshman team, also accomplishing the feat in 2011. WCU landed a player on the first-team for a second-straight season with the three honorees representing the most for WCU since also earning a trio of selections in 2014. The postseason all-conference teams are selected by the league's head coaches who were not allowed to vote for their players.
 
Dorsey led the conference with 328 digs and an average of 5.21 digs per set that ranks her 31st nationally. The Mobile, Ala., native logged double-digit digs in all but one match this season and surpassed the 20-dig threshold on eight occasions including a career-high 29 at UNCG on March 28. Dorsey earned the league's Defensive Player of the Week award three times including February 16, March 26, and March 30, becoming only the second player in WCU history to win three or more weekly defensive honors from the conference. Dorsey is the second straight Catamount to be named the SoCon's Libero of the Year after Meagan Sanchez took home the honor in 2019.
 
Gebel claimed a first-team all-conference honor thanks to a season that saw her tally 11 double-doubles and rank among the top 10 in the league in kills and digs. Gebel tallied 278 kills to finish third in the league with 3.78 kills per set. The Wildwood, Mo., native was credited with double-digit kills in 15 matches with a career-best 25 in a thrilling 3-2 win at The Citadel on Feb. 2. She earned the league's Offensive Player of the Week honor on March 2. Gebel concluded the regular season ninth in the league in digs per set with 3.62, finishing as the only player in the SoCon to rank in the league's top 10 in both kills and digs per set. She tallied a season-best 23 digs against Chattanooga on Feb. 14.
 
Gebel was a second-team All-SoCon selection in 2019 after collecting all-freshman honors back in 2018.
 
Gardon took home SoCon All-Freshman team laurels after averaging 2.55 kills and 1.93 digs per set. She recorded six double-figure kill matches with a season-best 14 on March 1 against ETSU. Gardon was credited with 10 or more digs in four matches with a career-best 18 in the same match against the Bucs. The West Chester, Ohio native logged four double-doubles.
 
Samford's Lauren Deaton earned Player of the Year honors with teammate Kenya McQuirter taking home the Rayna Taylor Freshman of the Year award. Mercer's Derek Schroeder was tabbed as SoCon Coach of the Year.
 
Third-seeded WCU faces No. 2 seed Mercer on Friday in the semifinal round of the SoCon Championship at 7:30 p.m. ET.  The match will be streamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required). The winner will advance to Saturday's SoCon Championship match against the winner of No. 1 Samford and No. 4 Wofford match-up.
 
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