VIDEO: Julia Wheeler Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - After being voted to the All-SAC Atlantic Conference First Team, Senior outside hitter Julia Wheeler was honored with a spot on the All-Region Second Team, announced on Thursday morning by The Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA).
This year the South Atlantic Conference was represented by nine-students athletes in the All-Region selections. Wingate led the way with four All-Region picks while Anderson was right behind with two. Lenoir-Rhyne, Carson-Newman, and Mars Hill each had one athlete selected.
Wheeler's selection marks the twelfth time a Carson-Newman volleyball athlete has been tabbed as an All-Region selection. It is her third consecutive year as a pick, finding a spot on the All-Region first-team in 2021 and 2022.
"It's exciting! It's always good to seee the hard work from my teammates being pushed into accomplishments like that." said Wheeler. "It feels really good."
The Murfreesboro, Tenn. native transferred to Mossy Creek in 2021 after two seasons at Tennessee Tech. She has had an extraordinary career, collecting 21 accolades as a Carson-Newman Eagle, including becoming only the second player in C-N history to be awarded with an AVCA All-American honorable mention laurel last season.
As of Nov. 17, Wheeler is the national and conference leader in total attacks, with 1,372 tallied for the season. She also led the league in total kills (421), kills per set (3.79), and points per set (4.14).
"Being terminal whenever I could be was super important for me. I gotta make my setters look good which in return makes our passers look good which reflects on us as a team."
The outside hitter led her team offensively in 26 of their 31 matches this season, and led defensively in three. She notched 11 double-doubles this season, to conclude her career with 44 total.
She recorded a season high 27 kills against Wingate on Oct. 6, a match of the school record set by Molly Locke in 2015.
On her final collegiate season, Wheeler collected 423 kills, 287 digs, 24 service aces, and 29 blocks. In her career at Carson-Newman, she has played in over 95 matches and amassed 1,360 kills, 948 digs, 87 service aces, and 112 blocks.
"I owe a lot to Carson-Newman" she said "I'm super to excited to move to the next chapter but I'll always remember this as such a vital part of my life."
