Five Athenas, and Coaching Staff, Honored By Conference
LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. – Less than a week removed from claiming the 2017 SCIAC Championship, the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's volleyball team had five Athenas named All-Conference. Opposite hitter Margaux Arntson (CMC) led four players on the First Team by being named the SCIAC Athlete of the Year while head coach Kurt Vlasich and the rest of the Athenas' coaching staff was named the SCIAC Coaching Staff of the Year.
Joining Arntson on the First Team was setter Clara Madsen (CMC), libero Mikena Werner (SC), and middle blocker Melanie Moore (CMC). Senior opposite hitter Shelbi Stein (CMC) earned a spot on the Second Team.
Arntson, a two-time Second Team All-SCIAC honoree as a first-year and sophomore, registered 153 kills (3.26 per set), and a superb .353 hitting percentage during league play this season. Overall, she finished the regular season with 266 kills and a .326 hitting percentage in 25 matches this fall. In nine of her 14 conference matches this season, Arntson collected double-digit kills, including a season-high 23 in a five-set tilt with Chapman on Sept. 23. Arntson also contributed 33 assisted blocks, including a season-high six against both La Verne and Chapman in the first two SCIAC matches of the season.
Clara Madsen earned her third All-Conference honor with a First Team nod this season after consecutive Second Team honors in her sophomore and junior seasons. Madsen finished the 2017 regular season with 578 assists and 167 digs overall. In 15 conference matches, Madsen dished out 329 assists (6.45 per set) and collected 28 service aces, including a season-high six aces against Chapman on Oct. 20.
In 2017, senior Mikena Werner was named First Team All-SCIAC for the third-straight season. Werner currently led the conference with 5.04 digs per set and has accumulated a total of 459 digs on the season. In addition to her strong defensive numbers, Werner has collected triple-digit assists with 116 in 26 matches this season. She is third on the team in total assists and is second on the squad with 33 service aces.
Rounding out the Athenas with First Team honors is freshman Melanie Moore. In her first season with the Athenas, Moore has done a little bit of everything. Moore leads the team with an impressive .407 hitting percentage (min. 50 attempts) and ranks in the top-four on the team in solo blocks (1st with 9), points per set (2nd with 2.9), service aces (3rd with 18), and total blocks (4th with 47).
Shelbi Stein was named Second Team All-SCIAC after finishing the regular season with 163 kills and a .308 hitting percentage as an opposite hitter. Stein collected double-digit kills on eight occasions on the season, including two in the final week of the season. Against Cal Lutheran on Saturday, Stein finished the three-set sweep with 16 kills and a .414 hitting percentage.
On Monday, the CMS coaching staff, comprised of head coach Kurt Vlasich along with assistant coaches Morgan Coberly, Shayla Chalker, and Jack Coberly, earned SCIAC Coaching Staff of the Year honors for the first time since 2014. It is the second time in the Kurt Vlasich era that the Athenas' coaching staff has been named staff of the year.
Senior Mariah Rigg was one of nine student-athletes named to the SCIAC All-Sportsmanship Team.
The No. 7 Athenas will continue their season on Thursday evening when they host the Chapman Panthers in Roberts Pavilion at 7:00 p.m. Check back later this week for a full preview of the SCIAC Playoffs and more information on the match on Thursday.