Lady Bears wrap up stellar volleyball season

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  • Abby Maxwell was named the AAC All-Conference first team. (Photo/TMU Athletics)
    Abby Maxwell was named the AAC All-Conference first team. (Photo/TMU Athletics)
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A season to remember recently came to an end for the Truett McConnell volleyball team.

The Lady Bears capped off the best season in school history with a run to the semifinals of the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament.

The playoff run included an upset victory over No. 2 seed Point University in the quarterfinals. The Lady Bears tournament run ended with a 3-1 loss to N. 3 seed Milligan College in the semifinal round. The Bears dropped the opening two sets (25-18, 25-20) but bounced back to take the third set, 29-27.

Milligan finished things off in the fourth set, winning 25-15.

In the semifinal match, Abby Maxwell recorded a double-double. Finishing with 30 assists and 18 digs.

Madison Curtis and Bethany Ross led the offensive attack with 10 kills each, while ??? Henderson had eight. Hannah Lee had 21 digs, while Anna Mumpower added 11. Maxwell, Curtis and Harris Anne Walker each had five block assists.

The Bears finished the year with an 18-19 mark, their first ever 18-win season. The semifinal berth was also the first in the program's history.

Conference awards

Abby Maxwell, of the Truett McConnell University women's volleyball team, earned a spot on the Appalachian Athletic Conference first team. Maxwell is one of 14 AAC players to be named to the first team, while six players were named to the All-AAC second team.

Maxwell, the junior setter, set the AAC single game record for most assists with 56 on Oct. 29. Maxwell ranks second in the AAC in assists per set (9.5), and third for total AAC assists on the season with 667.

Maxwell led all setters in the AAC with the most digs in AAC play (260), and with the least amount of setting and ball handling errors with four and eight, respectively, through 21 AAC matches. Maxwell recorded 11 AAC double-doubles and 18 total during the season, while also adding 48 kills and 29 blocks.

Maxwell reached her 2,000th career assist and is the TMU record holder for most assists per game (9.51) and total career assists (2,404).

"Abby has done an outstanding job for us this year," TMU head coach Mark Corbin said. "She has led our team both on and off the court. Her statistics prove how talented she is and the other coaches in the conference saw that also. I am very proud of Max and all the hard work she puts in everyday. This award was well deserved."

Junior Hannah Lee was named to the AAC Champions of Character team, while 10 Lady Bears earned spots on the All-Academic team - Maxwell, Lee, Emma McGee, Anna Mumpower, Abby Mumpower, Rachel Raines, Taylor Roland, Bethany Ross, Harris Anne Walker and Heather Woods.