WINGATE, N.C. – Julia Wheeler, one of the top outside hitters in the country, earned an all-region honor for the second straight season being named first-team All-Southeast Region by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) on Thursday.
For the year, the Murfreesboro, Tenn. native brings her award tally to 10 adding to a first-team All-South Atlantic Conference honor and a SAC All-Tournament team selection. Wheeler is the fourth player in program history to earn all-region nods in two separate seasons joining three-time pick Morgan Ballard and two-time selections Carly Mozgai and Nikki James.
Wheeler has been one of the best players in the country this year ranking 10th in kills per set (4.43), ninth in points per set (4.88) and fifth in total kills (496). Her total kill tally is over 100 more than any other player in the SAC and is one of six players in the nation with at least 450. In the C-N record books, Wheeler's 4.43 kills per set average stands as the best in a single year passing Carly Mozgai's 4.17 set in 2010. The Murfreesboro, Tenn. native has the second-most kills for a single season in school history and needs 27 to break the all-time school record.
This laurel marks the 14th in her first two years on campus as she has been in double figures for kills in 31 of the team's 32 matches leading the team in the category 30 times. Between last season and this year, Wheeler has increased her kills per set average by one and her hitting percentage by nearly 60 points. She has tallied 18 double-doubles and five matches with 20-plus kills.
The three-time SAC Offensive Player of the Week matched a career-high with 27 kills, the second-most in a single match in school history, on a .348 hitting percentage adding 18 digs in a four-set win at Limestone on Sept. 10. Among a year of highlights, Wheeler notched a career-best .583 attack percentage with 14 kills on 24 swings in a sweep of Emory & Henry on Nov. 1.
Wheeler guides the Eagles into the NCAA Tournament as the No. 3 seed facing sixth-seeded Flagler on Friday at noon. Friday's match will be available on YouTube courtesy of Wingate with stats available here. Follow along to @CN_Eagles on Twitter and Instagram for in-game updates. Tickets for each day will be available for $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and students with an ID and $2 for children. For more information click here.
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