SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Western Carolina fifth-year senior outside hitter Merry Gebel was named the Southern Conference Player of the Year on Thursday as the league announced its postseason honors.
 
Gebel is the second player in Catamount program history to earn Player of the Year honors, joining Regina Brown who accomplished the feat in 1990. In addition to being named Player of the Year, Gebel also earned a spot on the all-conference first team. Gebel closes her career with five All-SoCon accolades including All-Freshman team honors in 2018, first-team selections in 2020-21 and 2022 with second-team plaudits in both 2019 and 2021.
 
A product of Wildwood, Mo., Gebel led Western Carolina with 340 kills and 3.37 kills per set, the fifth-best seasonal average in the SoCon. In the league opener against Samford on Sept. 20, she recorded a team-best 20 kills and has finished in double figures offensively in 22 of 28 matches played this season. Gebel was twice tabbed as the league's Offensive Player of the Week, collecting honors on Aug. 29 and Sept. 26 and earned a spot on the season-opening Wake Forest Invitational All-Tournament Team.
 
Additionally, Gebel tallied 238 digs defensively for a 2.36 per set – third on the WCU team – and tied her career-high of 18 digs in the regular-season finale against Furman last Saturday. Gebel recorded 12 double-doubles this season and has 67 for her career. She is also tied for second on the squad with 30 service aces, 10th in SoCon matches with 20 aces.
 
In her five seasons wearing the purple and gold, Gebel has added her name to the program record books. She enters this weekend's league tournament ranked first in sets played with 487, second all-time with 1,634 kills, tied for second in matches played with 132, fifth in kills per set at 3.36, and fifth with 1,405 career digs.
 
Along with player of the year honors for Gebel, other individual honors include Samford's Kate Morgan as the Libero of the Year. ETSU's Caroline Dykes earned Setter of the Year honors and teammate Brianna Cantrell took home Rayna Taylor Freshman of the Year accolades. Bucs head coach Benavia Jenkins was tabbed as the Coach of the Year.
 
Western Carolina begins its pursuit of a SoCon Tournament title on Friday night at 7:30 p.m., facing sixth-seeded Mercer in the final of four quarterfinal contests. It's the third time in the past four years that the Catamounts and Bears meet in the conference tournament. The winner of that match faces the victor of a quarterfinal between No. 2 seed Samford and No. 7 seed The Citadel. The championship match is scheduled for Sunday at 4 p.m. with all matches streamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required).
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount volleyball and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts, @catamountvb), and Twitter (@catamounts, @catamountvb).
 
2022 All-Southern Conference Volleyball Teams and Awards
Player of the Year – Merry Gebel, Western Carolina, 5th, OH
Rayna Taylor Freshman of the Year – Brianna Cantrell, ETSU, OH
Libero of the Year – Kate Morgan, Samford, So.
Setter of the Year – Caroline Dykes, ETSU, So.
Coach of the Year – Benavia Jenkins, ETSU
 
All-SoCon First Team
Ali Ruffin, The Citadel, So., OH
Lundyn Coffman, ETSU, Sr., MB
Caroline Dykes, ETSU, So., S
Annie Karle, Mercer, Gr., OH
Kenya McQuirter, Samford, R-Jr., OH
Natalie Tyson, Chattanooga, R-Sr., OH
Merry Gebel, Western Carolina, 5th, OH
 
All-SoCon Second Team
Brianna Cantrell, ETSU, Fr., OH
Gracie Lynn Butler, Samford, So., OH
Lauren Deaton, Samford, Gr., OH
Kate Morgan, Samford, So., LIB
Paige Gallentine, Chattanooga, So., LIB
Sarah Barham, Wofford, Jr., MB
Millie Loehr, Wofford, Jr., MB
 
All-Freshman Team
Brianna Cantrell, ETSU, OH
Kimani Johnson, ETSU, RS
Whitley Rammel, ETSU, MB/RS
Lauren Haynes, Furman, OH
Lillian Beardsley, Mercer, RS
Greer Golden, Samford, MB
Victoria Hensley, Wofford, S