Nov. 22, 2017
AUBURN, Ala. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" Auburn volleyball seniors Jesse Earl, Alexa Filley, and Macy Reece were honored by the Southeastern Conference Wednesday as the league office announced its annual volleyball awards. Earl and Filley were placed on the All-SEC team, while Reece was named the SEC Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
"We are extremely thankful for the leadership this groups has provided our team in their time here," head coach Rick Nold said. "We're proud of all their accomplishments and grateful for the impact they have made on the program."
The All-SEC recognition is the second for both Earl and Filley as the pair were also honored in 2016.
"Jesse and Alexa have stamped their names in our record books and it's great to see their hard work pay off," Nold said. "Through their dedication, they have helped establish a culture that will last in our program for years to come."
Earl, a libero from Indianapolis, has once again been the cornerstone of the Auburn defense and has led the SEC since the first week of conference play in digs per set. She currently averages 5.55 digs/set against league foes, having a SEC-best 344 on the year so far.
Earl has totaled double-digit digs in all but one SEC match with nine 20 or more performances, including a career-high 36 at Tennessee (Oct. 4). She recently surpassed 1,000 career digs in SEC-only play and has 1,031 against the league in just three seasons.
In addition to her excellence in the back row, Earl has been among the league's best at the service line and is currently third with a .39 aces/set mark. Her 24 vs. the SEC is second most in the conference.
Filley, a setter from Louisville, has been the team's leader on the court since her freshman season and has paced the Tiger offense to a 13.71 kills/set average in 2017, ranking third in SEC-only play. Her 10.66 assists/set ranks fourth in the conference, while her 661 assists against the conference is third most.
Aside from exceling at setter, Filley has also been solid defensively. With a 2.94 digs/set average against the SEC, Filley has totaled 18 double-doubles (assists/digs) on the year. That total is second in the SEC.
Reece, an outside hitter from Hendersonville, Tenn., graduated summa cum laude with a degree in finance in three years, and is currently in her first semester of Auburn's MBA program. She was a member of the 2015 and 2016 SEC Academic Honor Roll as well as the 2014 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll. Reece is a five-time member of the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business Dean's List. She is also a member of Phi Kappa Phi (representing the top 10% of Auburn seniors) and the Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society.
"Macy has been the epitome of a role model while on the Plains," Nold said. "She has exceled both on and off the court and we are beyond proud of her academic accomplishments."
This is the fifth time an Auburn volleyball player has been named the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Rachel Shanks earned the honor in 2006 and 2007, while Camila Jersonsky was awarded in 2013 and Stephanie Campbell in 2015.
The Tigers cap the regular season on the road, facing No. 3 Florida and Arkansas. Auburn and the Gators go head-to-head Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT in Gainesville on ESPNU. The Tigers and the Razorbacks close out the week Saturday at 1 p.m. CT in Fayetteville.
For the latest on Auburn volleyball, follow @AuburnVB on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuburnVB.