Murray State University Athletics
Fernandez Named OVC Defensive Player of the Year, Holcombe on First Team
3/31/2021 9:43:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Murray State lands two on All-OVC First Team, Fernandez named Defensive Player of the Year
The Ohio Valley Conference handed out their annual awards, Wednesday morning, and the Murray State volleyball team had two players named to the All-OVC First Team, highlighted by OVC Defensive Player of the Year Becca Fernandez. Joining Fernandez on the first team is freshman right-side hitter Jayla Holcombe.
After being named OVC Defensive Player of the Year in 2018 and landing on the first team a season ago, Becca Fernandez is once again the OVC Defensive Player of the Year in 2020-21. She becomes just the third player to repeat as OVC Defensive Player of the Year and the first since UT Martin's Kasey Elswick in 2010-11.
The junior from Carol Stream, Illinois led the OVC with 6.09 digs per set and total digs with 359, picking up four OVC Defensive Player of the Week awards along the way. The 5.98 digs per set ranked Fernandez third in the nation.
Fernandez is just the fifth player in program in program history to earn Defensive Player of the Year, joining herself (2018), Ellie Lorenz (2016), Kayleah Sauer (2009), and Heather Norris (2006).
She moved into fourth place in the Murray State record books in All-Time Digs with 1,972 career digs. Fernandez tallied more than 20 digs in 10 of the Racers 16 matches, and is also currently is riding a 18-match streak of ten digs or more dating back to last season.
Freshman Jayla Holcombe claimed a spot on the All-OVC first team after totaling 204 kills, fourth-highest in the OVC for an average of 3.71 kills per set. Holcombe was fifth in the league in points, averaging 4.00 per set.
She earned Co-Offensive Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week after racking up 43 kills, including a season-high 26 in the three set win over UT Martin for her first 20+ kill match. She hit .444 in the match and had a team-best 5.38 kills per game to go with six blocks and one service ace. Holcombe's 26 kills were a NCAA-best for a three-set match.
Overall, this brings the total number of All-OVC selections for Murray State to 65, including 28 named to the first-team.
The Racers finished the 2020-21 season with a 5-11 record.
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After being named OVC Defensive Player of the Year in 2018 and landing on the first team a season ago, Becca Fernandez is once again the OVC Defensive Player of the Year in 2020-21. She becomes just the third player to repeat as OVC Defensive Player of the Year and the first since UT Martin's Kasey Elswick in 2010-11.
The junior from Carol Stream, Illinois led the OVC with 6.09 digs per set and total digs with 359, picking up four OVC Defensive Player of the Week awards along the way. The 5.98 digs per set ranked Fernandez third in the nation.
Fernandez is just the fifth player in program in program history to earn Defensive Player of the Year, joining herself (2018), Ellie Lorenz (2016), Kayleah Sauer (2009), and Heather Norris (2006).
She moved into fourth place in the Murray State record books in All-Time Digs with 1,972 career digs. Fernandez tallied more than 20 digs in 10 of the Racers 16 matches, and is also currently is riding a 18-match streak of ten digs or more dating back to last season.
Freshman Jayla Holcombe claimed a spot on the All-OVC first team after totaling 204 kills, fourth-highest in the OVC for an average of 3.71 kills per set. Holcombe was fifth in the league in points, averaging 4.00 per set.
She earned Co-Offensive Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week after racking up 43 kills, including a season-high 26 in the three set win over UT Martin for her first 20+ kill match. She hit .444 in the match and had a team-best 5.38 kills per game to go with six blocks and one service ace. Holcombe's 26 kills were a NCAA-best for a three-set match.
Overall, this brings the total number of All-OVC selections for Murray State to 65, including 28 named to the first-team.
The Racers finished the 2020-21 season with a 5-11 record.
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