WC volleyball receives numerous accolades, fourth year for May as Coach of the Year

After a sensational regular season, a perfect 18-0 conference record, the NJCAA Region V tournament victory and their third consecutive national tournament berth, it's no surprise the No. 2 Weatherford College Volleyball team was recognized by the Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference with several seasonal awards.

For the fourth consecutive year, head coach Kailee May has been named the NTJCAC Coach of the Year. May has been with the Coyotes since the program began in 2022, leading the team to their second Region V tournament victory and third straight national tournament appearance in three years.

A newcomer to the WC volleyball team, freshman Beline Thibaut was named the NTJCAC Player of the Year. Hailing from Velaux, France, Thibaut was a major threat on both sides of the ball. She played 89 sets across the regular season, recording 261 kills and 45 service aces on offense, with 306 digs and 40 blocking assists on defense. Not only did Thibaut receive back-to-back Player of the Week accolades, but she was only one of two players to be awarded twice in consecutive weeks for separate performances on offense and defense.

For the second time in two years, Kiana Souza was tapped as the Defensive Player of the Year. Souza charted a total of 388 digs throughout her 99 sets played, averaging 3.92 digs per set. She scored on 54 service aces and recorded 117 assists overall.

Weronika Urbanska earned the Offensive Player of the Year award. Recognized as the Player of the Year last season, Urbanska scored 362 points on 300 kills and 41 service aces. She averaged 3.7 points per set.

Victoria Sanchez awarded the NTJCAC Setter of the Year. Playing a total of 98 sets, Sanchez scored on 62.5 points on 33 services aces. She recorded a total 569 assists for the season, averaging 5.81 assists per set and a hitting percentage of .438 overall. Sanchez also earned a spot on the All-Conference team for her performance in the Region V tournament, where recorded two double doubles against No. 11 New Mexico Military Institute and No. 7 Odessa College, finishing with 68 assists and 21 digs across 10 sets.

Thibaut, Souza, Urbanska and Sanchez were four of six total players to earn a spot on the First Team All-Conference and All-Region. This is the second time Souza and Urbanska have been named to First Team All-Conference and All-Region, and the first time for Thibaut and Sanchez.

Rounding out the First Team All-Conference from WC are Glorybell Puente, Gabbie Maldonado and Mirabel Onyegwu. This is the second time in two years Maldonado has been named First Team All-Conference, and the first time for Puente and Onyegwu.

Freshman Glorybell Puente not only earned a spot on the First Team All-Conference, but she was also awarded Most Outstanding Player for her impressive performance throughout the Region V tournament, securing a spot on the Region V All-Tournament team. Puente totaled 41 points on 30 kills across 10 sets. With only one error, she averaged 10 kills per match. Puente was also the second player to earn back-to-back Player of the Week honors for defense and offense heading into the tournament.

Gabbie Maldonado earned her second First Team All-Conference accolade in two years, alongside a spot on the All-Tournament team for her performance in the Region V tournament hosted by WC. She scored 26.5 points on 22 kills to help lead WC to the title.

Another newcomer to WC, Mirabel Onyegwu performed well throughout the regular season. She scored 255.5 points, recorded 212 kills and 124 digs.

Two members of the WC Volleyball team earned a place on the All-Conference Second Team: freshman Alena Lopez and freshman Ally McCabe.

Weatherford College volleyball travels to Clarksville, Tennessee, for the NJCAA National Tournament next week, where the Coyotes will face No. 14 Casper College on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 1 p.m.