ARLINGTON, Texas – The Western Athletic Conference has announced the annual season awards.
Tori Ellis earned her second first-team selection and
Avery Shewell earned second team honors. Freshman
Lani Matavao made the WAC All-Freshman Team.
Ellis, a senior from Heber City, Utah, has tallied 290 kills on the year and 89 total blocks to help lead both the offensive and defensive fronts for the Wolverines. She was named WAC Player of the Week after a 13-kill and 11-block match against Tarleton State. It is her second first team selection after being named to the first-team last year.
It is the second time that Shewell has earned second-team honors after her 2022 selection. She has led UVU this year in kills (317), kills per set (3.17), and aces (34). Against Abilene Christian this year she was one off a career-high with 19 kills and 15 digs. She has ten total double-doubles on the year.
Matavao won a pair of WAC Libero of the Week honors, including one on the opening weekend after having 20 digs against Utah and 25 against NC State, her second award came after tying her career-high of 25 digs at California Baptist. This year, the West Jordan, Utah native has tallied 353 digs.
Two others received votes in the poll. Senior
Caleigh Vagana has tallied 114 total blocks and is currently No. 16 nationally in blocks per set with 1.37. In the Freshman voting,
Evalyn Chism received votes after recording 391 assists, which is good for 13
th all-time in UVU history.
The Wolverines open the 2023 WAC Tournament on Nov. 16 against UT Arlington. The Mavericks won both regular-season meetings.