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Rushing wins OVC coaching honor


Tennessee-Martin skipper Chris Rushing was selected by his peers as Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year for the second time after leading his squad to its second straight OVC regular season title, while Morehead State senior Amy Almond has been chosen as OVC Player of the Year for the second straight time, according to a vote of the league’s volleyball coaches. Rushing landed his second OVC Coach of the Year award guiding his squad to a school record 15-1 OVC mark en route to its second consecutive regular-season crown. Overall, the Skyhawks posted a 22-5 mark for their third straight season with 20 or more victories. Rushing, the only UT Martin skipper ever to earn OVC Coach of the Year accolades, becomes the fifth coach to be chosen for this honor in multiple seasons. Almond becomes the second Morehead State player, and fourth overall, in conference history to earn the award in back-to-back sessions. Also, honored was Murray State rookie Nikki Wong, who became the third consecutive setter to be named OVC Freshman of the Year. Almond, a 5-foot-11 leftside hitter from Columbus, Ohio, joins former Eagle standout Dayle Hammontree as two-time OVC Players of the Year after ranking fifth in the league in kills (4.23 kpg) and eighth in digs (3.60 dpg). The senior has recorded 17 double-doubles in 31 matches. A repeat selection to the All-OVC first team in 2002, Almond has earned postseason recognition in each of her four years at MSU, nabbing a spot on the OVC All-Newcomer team in 1999 before garnering second team honors a year later. Wong, a 5-foot-9 setter from Xinhua, China, is the first Murray State player to be named OVC Freshman of the Year. As a rookie, Wong ranks fifth in the conference in assists (10.86 apg) and 10th in hitting percentage (.257). A second team All-OVC selection this season in addition to her place on the OVC All-Freshman squad, Wong has registered a league-high four triple-doubles while quarterbacking the Racers to the league’s third-best team attack average (.216).