By: Laura Chapman
Assistant Sports Information Director
chapmal@juniata.edu • juniatasports.net

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Four members of the Juniata College women's volleyball team were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Region team, the organization announced this afternoon. Freshman Nakita Gearhart (Waynesboro, Pa./Greencastle-Antrim), junior Amelia Kepler (Kane, Pa./Kane Area), senior Amy Miller (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch), and freshman Kelly Reynolds (Upper Saint Clair, Upper Saint Clair) are all receiving their first AVCA All-Region honors. Head coach Heather Pavlik was also named the Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year.

"Those four, I think it's very interesting as a group that you have two older players with tons of experience and two younger players who have come a long way through the year and had really solid freshmen years," said head coach Heather Pavlik. "They are a great group and they also have a lot of help from the people around them. This group as a whole, the whole entire team, has been really good at working together all the time. I think individual awards are nice, but especially in a sport like volleyball where you really can't do anything yourself, other than maybe serve, they really do end up being team awards."

Juniata last placed four members on the all-region team in 2010, the year prior to Pavlik taking over as head coach. The Eagles are currently 30-4 on the year heading into the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Tournament this weekend.

"What the hitter accomplishes is not possible without the setter," said Pavlik. "What the setter accomplishes is really not possible without the passers and defenders. Those are team awards. I'm very proud of those individuals, but I'm also proud of the team for putting them in that position."

Reynolds was also named Region Freshman of the Year. She is the sixth Juniata player to receive this recognition and the first since Kelsey Fuller received in 2009. Reynolds is only the second Juniata setter to receive the honor.

"To be a freshman setter is very difficult in and of itself," said Pavlik. "I've done it myself and it's hard and it has its moments where it's extremely difficult and I think [Kelly] has handled that with grace and poise and has consistently grown the entire year. Her understanding of offense, her understanding of the game, her ability to manage the hitters, she's done a really nice job and I've been really happy with the job she's done this year."

The Region Coach of the Year award is the first for Pavlik as a head coach. She and the Juniata staff were also named Landmark Conference staff of the year.

"I look at that as staff of the year," said Pavlik. "The bottom line is, it takes a whole group of people to ready a team for a playoff run. I've got a phenomenal group of people around me; great coaches, great team, great administration. The bottom line is, I get a ton of support from the administration as well. I feel blessed that they put me in a position to be able to do what I do."

The Eagles open NCAA action this Friday, Nov. 15, at 8 p.m. as the No. 1 seed against eighth seeded Gallaudet University in Kennedy Sports + Recreation Center.

For the full AVCA release, click here.

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