Cockrell, Feldman Garner Big South Postseason Honors
November 18, 2014 | Volleyball
CHARLOTTE --- Gardner-Webb seniors Tyler Cockrell (Tulsa, Okla.) and Heather Feldman (Eden, N.Y.) each garnered Big South Conference postseason honors Tuesday, as Feldman was named to the League's All-Academic Team and Cockrell earned a spot on the All-Conference Team for the first time in her career.
Cockrell enters the Big South Tournament as one of the most accomplished players in program history, currently ranking fourth on the school's all-time kills list with 1,068 smashes to date. The 5-9 middle blocker ranks atop the program's all-time list in every blocking category, needing just one block to move into a tie for seventh in Big South history and is four shy of a tie for sixth.
A native of Tulsa, Okla., Cockrell last earned Big South postseason honors in 2010 when she was named to the All-Freshmen Team. She is in the midst of arguably her best season at Gardner-Webb, leading the team in kills (331), kills per set (2.78) and hitting percentage (.278) while totaling 131 blocks and averaging 1.10 per set.
Feldman has put together a solid senior season with the Runnin' Bulldogs, averaging 9.33 assists per set to go along with 2.20 digs and 0.80 kills per frame. A three-time member of the Big South All-Academic Team, Feldman is currently maintaining a perfect 4.0 grade point average while majoring in music.
The 5-10 setter reached a milestone only one other player in program history has equaled earlier this season, breaching both the 4,000-assist and 1,000-dig plateaus for her career. She currently ranks second in school history with 4,507 assists and sixth with 1,094 digs.
Gardner-Webb opens postseason play on Thursday, November 20 in Conway, S.C. in the quarterfinal round of the Big South Conference Tournament. The seventh-seeded Runnin' Bulldogs will take on second-seeded and host school Coastal Carolina at 7:30 pm in the HTC Center.
2014 Big South Volleyball Postseason Award Winners
First-Team All-Conference
Leah Hardeman – OH, Fr., Coastal Carolina
Caroline Douglas – OH/CB, Jr., Liberty
Rachel Wiechecki – OH/LB, Sr., Radford
Kristin Heldt – RS, Sr., High Point
Ezster Nagy – MB, Jr., Coastal Carolina
Rachel Lenz – MB, Jr., Winthrop
Mary Crema – LIB, Jr., Campbell
Second-Team All-Conference
Emma Deininger – MB, Sr., Radford
Jade Vorster – MB, Jr., Liberty
Jena Braden – S, Sr., Radford
Tyler Cockrell – MB, Sr., Gardner-Webb
Rachel Hall – MB/RS, Sr., Presbyterian
Caila Stapleton – S/RB, Jr., Liberty
Hannah Weidner – RS, Fr., Liberty
Mary Trimpe – LIB, R-Sr., Presbyterian
Honorable Mention
Sam Skyrd – S, Sr., Coastal Carolina
Ashtin Frank – S/RB, Sr., Presbyterian
Alina Sopizhuk – OH, Sr., Winthrop
Brianna Gray – MB, So., Winthrop
Gabi Mirand – S, Jr., High Point
All-Freshman Team
Leah Hardeman – OH, Fr., Coastal Carolina
Hannah Weidner – RS, Fr., Liberty
Maddie Palmer – OH/LB, Fr., Radford
Camryn Freiberg – MB, Fr., High Point
Nikki Drost – OH, Fr., Winthrop
Haley Barnes – OH, Fr., High Point
Sirena Vorster – MB, Fr., Liberty
All-Academic Team
Emma Deininger – MB, Sr., Radford
Heather Feldman – S, Sr., Gardner-Webb
Maria Volstad – DS, So., Winthrop
Mary Crema – LIB, Jr., Campbell
Jenna Orner – LIB, Sr., Coastal Carolina
Christine Lakatos – OH/LB, Jr., UNC Asheville
Meredith Parrott – MB/OH, Jr., Charleston Southern
Savannah Angel – MB, R-So., High Point
Caila Stapleton – S, Jr., Liberty
Rachel Hall – MB/RS, Sr., Presbyterian
Player of the Year
Leah Hardeman – OH, Fr., Coastal Carolina
Freshman of the Year
Leah Hardeman – OH, Fr., Coastal Carolina
Coach of the Year
Marci Jenkins, Radford
Scholar Athlete of the Year
Emma Deininger – MB, Sr., Radford
