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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Eastern Kentucky University's
Josie Schmitendorf was chosen as the 2024 Atlantic Sun Conference Defensive Player of the Year, a total of five Colonels earned all-conference recognition, two were chosen to the Academic All-ASUN Team and one earned a spot on the ASUN All-Freshman Team, the league announced today from its Jacksonville, Florida headquarters.
In addition to being picked by league head coaches as the top defender, Schmitendorf joined teammate
Sarah Mitchell on the First Team All-ASUN.
Carson Ledford was selected Second Team All-ASUN.
Emilee Hill and
AG Vandagriff earned spots on the Third Team All-ASUN.
Cooper Abney was chosen to the ASUN All-Freshman Team.
Schmitendorf and Ledford were also selected to the seven-member Academic All-ASUN Team.
The Colonels will begin play at the 2024 ASUN Tournament on Thursday. Fourth seeded EKU plays No. 5 seed Jacksonville at 4 p.m. ET at Alico Arena in Fort Myers, Florida.
Schmitendorf is a 4-time ASUN Defensive Player of the Week this season. She was the preseason ASUN Defensive Player of the Year and a member of the preseason All-ASUN team. The senior libero is first in the conference, and 22nd in the NCAA, with 517 total digs. She is third in the ASUN, and 46th in NCAA, with 4.70 digs per set. Schmitendorf recorded 20 or more digs in 12 of 29 matches and had 10 or more in 28 of 29. She posted a career-high 33 digs in a win over North Florida, the second-most by ASUN player in 2024.
The Huntley, Illinois native is the fourth Colonel to be selected as the conference defensive player of the year, and the first since 2017 when Chloe Rojas was picked as the Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Schmitendorf earned Second Team All-ASUN honors in 2023.
In the classroom, Schmitendorf completed an undergraduate degree in child and family studies with a 3.92 grade-point-average (GPA). She has compiled a 3.5 GPA while pursuing a graduate degree in business administration with a concentration in public administration.
Mitchell was also a preseason All-ASUN selection and earned ASUN Player of the Week honors on Nov. 11. The senior outside hitter is ninth in the conference in kills (3.45) and points per set (3.94). She also averaged 3.24 digs, 0.32 blocks and 0.31 aces per set while posting a .247 attack percentage with more than 1,080 attempts. Mitchell finished with a career-high 26 kills at Stetson. She had 10 or more kills in 21 of 29 matches, 10 or more digs in 18 of 29 matches and 20 or more digs four times. Mitchell totaled 22.5 points at Austin Peay and 28 points at Stetson.
The Berea, Kentucky native was a Second Team All-ASUN choice in 2023.
Ledford, a junior middle blocker, leads the ASUN, and is 37th in the nation, with a .378 hitting percentage. The Wilkesboro, North Carolina native averaged 2.80 points, 2.09 kills, 0.84 blocks and 0.22 aces per set this season. She had five or more blocks in eight matches. Ledford finished with 12 kills, 0 errors, a .750 attack percentage and two aces in a sweep of regular season champion Florida Gulf Coast. She had a season-high eight blocks at Queens.
Academically, the 2023 second team All-ASUN pick has a 4.0 GPA while majoring in business administration.
Hill posted five triple-doubles, most in ASUN and seventh-most in the NCAA. She averaged 6.63 assists, 3.26 digs, 1.54 kills, 0.50 blocks, 0.26 aces and 2.1 points per set. In addition to her triple-doubles, the sophomore setter from Yorktown, Indiana also had 17 double-doubles (assists & digs). She ranked 10th in league in assists (6.63/set) and 10th in digs (3.26/set). Hill totaled 20 or more assist in 24 of 29 matches. She posted triple-doubles against: Oakland (11 kills, 19 assists, 18 digs), Lipscomb (11 kills, 28 assists, 12 digs), Queens (12 kills, 31 assists, 31 digs), North Florida (14 kills, 33 assists, 16 digs) and Austin Peay (11 kills, 31 assists, 17 digs). Hill had a career-high 38 assists against Central Arkansas, a career-high 14 kills against North Florida and a career-best 31 digs at Queens.
Vandagriff, also a second team All-ASUN selection last year, averaged 3.09 points, 2.80 kills and 0.58 blocks per set. She hit .259 with more than 750 attempts this season. The junior right side from Athens, Georgia posted 10 or more kills in 18 matches and five or more blocks in four matches. She finished with a career-high 21 kills in a win over North Florida.
Abney shared setting duties as a freshman. She averaged 4.38 assists per set and 1.44 digs per set. The Marietta, Georgia native had a season-high 30 assists against UNF. She totaled 16 kills and 19 aces on the season. Abney contributed 10 or more assists in 27 straight matches and had 20 or more assists seven times.
