Brenner Named HCAC Coach of the Year After First Season

DEFIANCE, Ohio – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference handed out its end-of-season honors on Wednesday morning and the Defiance College volleyball program earned a number of accolades. First-year head coach Brie Brenner was named the HCAC Coach of the Year, while Alexis Pierce, Alicia Kalik, and Chelsea Ludeman received All-HCAC honors.  [All-HCAC Teams]

Coach Brenner did a sensational job in her first year at the helm of the program, as the Defiance native improved the Jackets' record from 14-16 and 4-5 in the HCAC a season ago to 18-13 and 6-3 in conference play. The six wins in the Heartland are the most since the 2008 season. The Purple and Gold finished fourth in the conference standings and hosted a home HCAC Tournament match for the first time in DC history, with the Jackets winning 3-1 over Hanover and advancing to the semifinals.

With the award, Brenner is the fifteenth coach in Defiance College history to have been honored as the HCAC Coach of the Year and the first since the 2007-2008 athletic year. The award marks the third time a DC volleyball coach has received the honor. The last coach to garner the recognition was former men's basketball coach Jon Miller.

The players on the team that were responsible for much of Brenner's success were the aforementioned Kalik, Ludeman and Pierce. Kalik was the Jackets' primary setter during the 2012 campaign and recorded 961 assists, averaging 9.33 per set. The mark placed the sophomore second in the HCAC in assists. The South Lyon product was named HCAC Offensive Player of the Week once this season and was named to the Green Hornet Invitational All-Tournament Team and the Rose-Hulman Invitational All-Tournament Team. Kalik also was named to the HCAC All-Sportsmanship Team for her positive attitude on and off the court.

Pierce dominated the net for the Yellow Jackets throughout the season. The junior led the team in kills with 358, blocks with 93 and points with 437. The numbers rank Pierce in the top five of the conference in each statistical category. During the season, the Wauseon native was placed on the Rose-Hulman Invitational All-Tournament Team and the Pioneer Classic All-Tournament Team. Pierce also received recognition for her standout performance in postseason play, as the junior was named to the HCAC All-Tournament Team.

The 2012 season marks the second time Ludeman has been an All-HCAC selection, with the first coming during her freshman season in 2010. The junior was the most efficient attacker on the squad, as Ludeman recorded a hitting percentage of .257, ranking fourth in the Heartland. The outside hitter had the second most kills and blocks for the Purple and Gold. Ludeman was awarded the HCAC Offensive Player of the Week for her performances from October 15-22.

The Jackets expect 11-of-12 members from this season's team to return for the 2013 season, including five starters and all three All-HCAC performers.