AVCA Official Release
Tia Jimerson, Ohio - Middle Blocker (1st Team Northeast)
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Ohio Volleyball junior middle blocker Tia Jimerson (Sugar Hill, Ga.) garnered 2019 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Northeast Region selection, the AVCA announced on Tuesday (Dec. 10).
Jimerson is the first Bobcat to receive the AVCA All-Region honor since Abby Gilleland and Meredith Ashy earned the award in 2015.
Jimerson led the Mid-American Conference in overall blocks per set at 1.33 and was second in conference only blocks per set at 1.30. Jimerson's block per set number was good for No. 28 in the nation. She led the MAC in hitting percentage and is No. 45 in the nation at .369, and was second in the league in points per set at 4.09. Jimerson earned MAC Player of the Week honors four times throughout the 2019 season and is the only student-athlete to claim offensive & defensive accolades in the same week.
Earlier this year, Jimerson was named the MAC Player of the Year, MAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year and First-team All-MAC.
Jimerson was the 11th Bobcat to win the MAC's top honor, and Ohio last won the award in 2014 when Gilleland took home the honor. Gilleland was an AVCA All-American and AVCA All-Region winner that season.
AVCA All-Americans will be announced on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
Ohio finished the season 18-13 and 9-7 in the MAC, earning the No. 5 seed in the MAC Tournament. Ohio advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament after defeating Kent State in the first round.
Kathleen Reilly, Western Michigan - Libero (Honorable Mention Midwest)
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Western Michigan volleyball senior libero Kathleen Reilly was named an AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention announced by the American Volleyball Coaches Association on Tuesday.
Reilly becomes the first Bronco since Jillian Mitchell in 2008 to be named AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention. Reilly is just the third Bronco in program history to earn honorable mention honors joining Mitchell and Shaylen Jackson in 2005.
Last month Reilly was named Mid-American Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the third Bronco in school history to win the award. Reilly closed out the regular season raking second in the MAC at 5.37 digs per set and first in the MAC with 601 total digs.
The 601 digs were eighth most in a single-season in school history while her 5.37 digs per set ranked fourth. During conference play the Overland Park, Kan., native recorded double digit digs in every match and posted nine matches with over 20 digs.
In her four years Reilly was a three-time Academic All-MAC selection along with being named to the All-MAC Tournament team in 2017 and the All-MAC Freshman team in 2016. Reilly ended her career in the Brown & Gold with 2,326 digs, the third most in school history and the third most in MAC history.
