Transylvania’s Katelyn Smith Earns HCAC Women’s Basketball MVP Honor
Posted: Mar 04, 2015
GREENWOOD, IN – Transylvania University's Katelyn Smith (Hazard, Ky./Perry Co. Central) has been selected as the 2014-2015 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Most Valuable Player, headlining the 13-member All-HCAC 1st and 2nd teams.
Smith, a junior guard for the Pioneers, guided her team to a sixth HCAC regular season title and a second-straight NCAA tournament appearance this season. She ranked second in the league in scoring, averaging 19.0 points per game, and led the league in field goal percentage (56.6%) during conference play. Smith also contributed 5.1 rebounds per game and shot 49.2% from three-point range (2nd in HCAC) during HCAC action this season.
Her efforts enabled the Pioneers to finish the conference season with a perfect 18-0 record and currently boast a 25-2 mark overall. The Pioneers will open the NCAA Division III tournament against Wittenberg at Washington-St. Louis Friday evening.
The HCAC has also announced that Mount St. Joseph University freshman Lauren Hill (Greendale, Ind./Lawrenceburg) has been selected as a member of the All-HCAC first team. "This award is being presented to Lauren in recognition of her courage and outstanding leadership," stated HCAC Commissioner, Chris Ragsdale. "Lauren has been a tremendous inspiration and role model for all student-athletes across the country. She has shown through her leadership and dedication how one individual can truly make a difference," Ragsdale added.
Since November Hill has helped raise national awareness about pediatric brain cancer. Her efforts have stimulated fund raising that has generated well in excess of one million dollars. Earlier this year in a private ceremony following Mount St. Joseph's contest against Hiram at Xavier University's Cintas Center, Commissioner Ragsdale, along with over 100 HCAC women's basketball players and coaches, presented Hill with the HCAC Inspiration Award.
Bluffton University's Macey Sheerer (Bucyrus, Ohio/H.S.) has been named the 2014-2015 HCAC Freshman of the Year. Sheerer, a guard for the Beavers, ranked ninth in the HCAC in scoring (12.2 ppg), third in rebounds (7.1 rpg), fifth in free throw percentage (81.9%), and seventh in field goal percentage (45.5%) during the conference season.
Transylvania University's Juli Fulks has been awarded the HCAC Coach of the Year award for the first time in her career. The first-year head coach led the Pioneers to their sixth HCAC women's basketball championship, becoming the first HCAC team to finish the conference season with a perfect 18-0 record. Transylvania earned an at-large berth into the NCAA tournament with a 25-2 overall record.
Smith, Hill, and Sheerer were three of 13 players named to the All-HCAC first or second team. There are four seniors, four juniors, three sophomores, and two freshmen on the team this season. The eight-member Honorable Mention All-HCAC team, All-Freshman team, and All-Sportsmanship team have also been named. A complete list of the recipients of conference awards follow:
HCAC Awards:
Player of the Year: Katelyn Smith, Transylvania University, Jr., G
Freshman of the Year: Macey Sheerer, Bluffton University, G
Coach of the Year: Juli Fulks, Transylvania University
1st Team All-HCAC:
Taylor Whitaker, Bluffton, Jr., G
Kelsey Tietje, Defiance, So., C
Alicia Hopkins, Hanover, Sr., G
Lauren Hill, Mount St. Joseph, Fr., F
Nicole Coffman, Transylvania, Sr., G
Katelyn Smith, Transylvania, Jr., G
Jordin Fender, Transylvania, So., G
2nd Team All-HCAC:
Macey Sheerer, Bluffton, Fr., G
Kasin Spay, Earlham, Jr., G
Lauren DeSutter, Franklin, So., G
Nichole Thompson, Franklin, Sr., F
Megan Caudill, Hanover, Sr., F
Katie Arterburn, Manchester, Jr., G
Honorable Mention All-HCAC:
Shelby Shaffer, Anderson, So., G
Taylor Knight, Bluffton, Jr., G
Megan Zachrich, Defiance, Sr., G
Katie Brewer, Franklin, Jr., F
Alyssa Smith, Manchester, Sr., G
Alyssa Hammond, Manchester, Sr., C
Gracie Gibbs, Rose-Hulman, Sr., F
Abbie Marshall, Rose-Hulman, So., F
All-Freshman Team:
Courtney Skinner, Anderson, G
Macey Sheerer, Bluffton, G
Hannah Dyer, Earlham, G
Mariah Flynn, Earlham, F
Allison Nash, Hanover, F
All-Sportsmanship Team:
Cori Conner, Anderson, Sr., F
Abby Jerger, Bluffton, Jr., G
Erica Smay, Defiance, So., G
JaLissa Watt, Earlham, Sr., G
Amber May, Franklin, So., F
Shauna Watson, Hanover, Sr., G
Kelsey Daugherty, Manchester, Jr., G
Lauren Hill, Mount St. Joseph, Fr., F
Sheree Williams, Rose-Hulman, Sr., G
Kayla Dobson, Transylvania, Sr., F