Three athletes from the Morehead State Eagles women’s beach volleyball team received All-Ohio Valley Conference honors, according to an April 22 announcement. Haylee DePonte was named Freshman of the Year, marking the first time an Eagle has earned this award.
The recognition highlights achievements within the program and acknowledges individual contributions throughout the season. In addition to DePonte’s accolade, junior Bella Marita was selected for the second-team and freshman Riley McCloskey earned a spot on the All-Freshman Team.
DePonte, a redshirt freshman from Aiea, Hawaii, achieved six victories at Nos. 3 and 4 pairs during the season, including three conference wins with partner Amelia Nott at No. 3. She also received an All-Freshman team award. “Haylee has been a special addition to our program,” said Head Coach Sarah Martin. “She deserves this recognition, not just for her performance and work this spring, but also for the hard work she put in this fall to work to be the best player and teammate she can be. She’s a great teammate that shows up to support her partner and her teammates, and we are so proud she is Freshman of the Year.”
Marita has now been honored as All-OVC in each of her three seasons at Morehead State while playing in one of MSU’s No. 1 pairs positions; she recorded ten victories this spring with four coming against league opponents. “Bella has been a standout in our program since her freshman year,” Martin said. “Her quickness in the sand and knowledge of the game has not only helped her to be a great player, but also to be a teammate that helps everyone around her be the best they can be. Bella is someone that makes her love of the game infectious, and is truly one of the best defenders I will have ever coached.”
McCloskey played primarily at Nos. 4-5 during her first collegiate season as a freshman from Newport, Kentucky; she collected five wins over that span. Martin said: “Coming in, in her first semester at Morehead State and her first time playing in the sand, Riley truly put forth work to learn the game and improve… Her flexibility to play with multiple partners and be ready to be a blocker or defender has helped make our team better in the sand every day… She deserves recognition for impact made on our team this spring.”
Other major Ohio Valley Conference awards went to Chattanooga athletes McKenna Faychak (Player of The Year) as well as McKenna Faychak & Maddie Lecik (Pair of The Year), while Chattanooga’s coaching staff was named Coaching Staff Of The Year.
