Bittinger Earns All-MAC First Team Honors for Third Straight Year
11/15/2017 4:18:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Kent State outside hitter Kelsey Bittinger was named to the 2017 All-Mid-American Conference Volleyball First Team, as the conference office announced its postseason honors on Wednesday (Nov. 15).
The most decorated student-athlete in Kent State Volleyball history, Bittinger earns her third straight All-MAC First Team recognition. Classmate Challen Geraghty is the only other Golden Flash to ever be named to the first team multiple times.
Last week, the Strongsville, Ohio native was named as one of 10 finalists for the 2017 Senior CLASS Award, which honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition (click HERE to vote for Kelsey). Bittinger was an Academic All-America® Third Team selection a year ago and boasts an impressive 3.95 cumulative GPA as an applied physics major and member of the Honors College.
During the 16-match conference season, Bittinger ranked second in the conference at 3.97 kills per set and fourth at 4.27 points per set. She also led all-non liberos at 3.61 digs per set and her .234 hitting percentage ranked third among pin hitters.
Bittinger posted 3.88 kills per set overall, which is ninth on Kent State's single-season list and the most since Arjola Prenga averaged 4.25 kills per set during the 2009 season. She also had a career-best 3.37 digs per set and led the Flashes with 14 double-doubles.
One of only five members of Kent State's 1,000 kills-1,000 digs club, Bittinger concludes her career with 1,472 kills and 1,332 digs to rank third and fourth, respectively, in program history.
2017 MAC Volleyball Player of the Year
Kallie Seimet, Bowling Green
2017 MAC Volleyball Setter of the Year
Vera Giacomazzi, Ohio
2017 MAC Volleyball Freshman of the Year
Tia Jimerson, Ohio
2017 MAC Volleyball Defensive Player of the Year
Kallie Seimet, Bowling Green
2017 MAC Volleyball All-MAC First Team
Brooklyn Goodsel, Ball State
Kallie Seimet, Bowling Green
Cassie Shado, Buffalo
Jordan Bueter, Central Michigan
Kelsey Bittinger, Kent State
Maeve McDonald, Miami
Olivia Rusek, Miami
Katie Tomasic, Miami
Kaylee Martin, Northern Illinois
Meg Wolowicz, Northern Illinois
Vera Giacomazzi, Ohio
Tia Jimerson, Ohio
Lizzie Stephens, Ohio
Sydney LeMay, Western Michigan
2017 MAC Volleyball All-MAC Honorable Mention
Ellie Dunn, Ball State
Amber Seaman, Ball State
Isabelle Marciniak, Bowling Green
Nicole Slimko, Bowling Green
Kelly Ferguson, Eastern Michigan
Annie Beasley, Toledo
2017 MAC Volleyball All-Freshman Team
Katie Kidwell, Bowling Green
Andrea Mitrovic, Buffalo
Kaylee Martin, Northern Illinois
Vera Giacomazzi, Ohio
Tia Jimerson, Ohio
Rachel Bontrager, Western Michigan
