Nov. 23, 2016
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The 2016 SEC volleyball postseason awards were announced Wednesday afternoon, and South Carolina’s Mikayla Shields earned a spot on the conference’s All-Freshman team.
Shields’ honor gives the Gamecocks back-to-back seasons with a player on the team, joining Aubrey Ezell from 2015. The program has never had freshmen honored in two straight seasons, and Shields is just the fifth freshman in program history to be recognized by the SEC for her efforts.
The Orlando, Fla. native has been a special talent all season long, starting with SEC Freshman of the Week and all-tournament honors at the College of Charleston Invitational to begin the season. Through 28 matches, Shields has played in all but one of the team’s sets and leads the Gamecocks in kills (311) and hitting percentage (.309). She is just the fourth freshman in the rally-scoring era (since 2001) to break the 300-kill mark in a season for South Carolina, and her hitting percentage currently stands as a freshman record for the program.
2016 SEC ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
- Mikayla Shields || South Carolina
- Hayley McSparin || Alabama
- Gwyn Jones || Auburn
- Rachael Kramer || Florida
- Leah Edmond || Kentucky
- Tessa Grubbs || Tennessee
- Hollann Hans || Texas A&M
Quotable: Head Coach Scott Swanson
On Shields’ recognition
“It was pretty obvious to us from day one that she was going to be one of our go-to hitters, just her athleticism, her height above the net, being left-handed and hitting with pace and control and good vision, we knew she was going to be a special attacker for us. We’re very proud of her and her efforts, and how much she has improved as a player. She’s very cerebral and analytical on the court and wants to do everything right.”
Up Next
The final week of the regular season awaits the Gamecocks. The team has two matches sandwiched around Thanksgiving; the first is the team’s home finale on Wednesday night against Arkansas. First serve against the Razorbacks is 7 p.m. ET. Wrapping up the 2016 season will be a road trip to Oxford for a Black Friday showdown with Ole Miss. That match will also be a 7 p.m. first serve.
