BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – On Wednesday afternoon the Mountain East Conference announced their All-MEC performers as a trio of NDC Falcons were recognized. Sydney Bray garnered MEC Freshman of the Year, First Team All-MEC and a spot on the MEC All-Freshman Team, while Samantha Comer and Jayme Zoeckler earned All-MEC Honorable Mention. Bray becomes the first player in program history to be selected as the Freshman of the Year in the Mountain East Conference and she is the first player to earn the award since NDC was in the American Mideast Conference in 2006. Moreover, the Woodstock, Ga. native is just the second Falcon to be tabbed with First Team All-MEC honors, including the first since Mary Kate McHugh in 2019. The awards are voted on by the league's coaches. (Release)
 
The Notre Dame College volleyball program saw success in 2023 under first year head coach Erica Kostelac. The Falcons finished 10-14, including 7-7 inside the Mountain East Conference, marking back-to-back seasons with a .500 or better record inside the MEC, the first time since 2018-19. In addition, Kostelac coached the Falcons into their sixth consecutive MEC Tournament.
 
Freshman of the Year / First Team / All-Freshman Team
Sydney Bray

• Played in, and started, all 24 matches, totaling 89 sets played for NDC this season
• Led the team and the MEC all season with 4.54 points per set and 3.85 kills per set, 23^rd and 29^th in NCAA DII
• Ranks sixth in NDC single season history in kills per set
• Holds the NDC three-set match record with 23 kills on Oct. 6 at Wheeling
• Posted a career-high 25 kills on Oct. 13 vs. Glenville State, tied fifth-most in program history
• Paced the team with 343 kills, second on the squad in digs (245), blocks (49) and aces (27)
• Totaled 10 double-doubles on the year

 
Honorable Mention
Samantha Comer

• Played in, and started, 20 matches, totaling 76 sets played for NDC this season
• Ranked 10^th in the MEC with 3.09 kills per set
• Second on the team in kills (235) and kills per set, fourth in digs (178) and aces (19) and fifth in blocks (24)
• Tied a career-high with 24 kills on Oct. 3 at Fairmont State, tied eighth-most in program history
• Notched five double-doubles this year

 
Honorable Mention
Jayme Zoeckler

• Played in, and started, all 24 matches, totaling 89 sets played for NDC this season
• Led the team with 857 assists and ranked second in the MEC with 9.56 assists per set
• Posted a career-high 60 assists on Oct. 3 at Fairmont State, third-most in program history
• Tallied 42 assists on Oct. 31 vs. Fairmont State, tying the NDC three-set match record
• Ranks 10^th in NDC single season history in assists per set
• Fueled the team with 39 aces and ranked fourth in the MEC at 0.44 aces per set
• Touted a team-high 11 double-doubles this season