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WVU’s Caffrey earns volleyball honor

MORGANTOWN — WVU volleyball sophomore Payton Caffrey was awarded a spot on the All-Midwest Regional honorable mention team by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) on Dec. 5.

Caffrey was one of six student-athletes to garner honorable mention recognition, while 14 were selected to the All-Midwest Regional first team.

A two-time all-Big 12 first team honoree, Caffrey was named to the 2017 all-Big 12 preseason team, in August. She earned all-tournament honors at the WVU Invitational and the Diet Coke Classic this season. Caffrey was tabbed as the Big 12 Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 27, as she helped the Mountaineers capture their first-ever win over a top-25 opponent, at then-No. 14 Kansas.

“I’m really proud of Payton and what she has accomplished the last two years,” third-year WVU coach Reed Sunahara said. “We are fortunate enough to have a player like her. She bought into what we are doing. She’s playing really well right now, and we still have a couple more matches to go.”

Caffrey was named the 2016 AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year, becoming the first Mountaineer in program history to earn the honor.

The Chuluota, Fla., native ranks first in the Big 12 with 0.47 service aces per set, second in points per set (4.31) and fifth in kills per set (3.60). Nationally, Caffrey is 11th in service aces per set and is tied for seventh with 57 aces on the year. She also sits inside the top 50 with 521 points.

Caffrey has double-digit kills in 22 of 33 matches and has 14 double-doubles on the year.

The Mountaineers will face Ole Miss in a National Volleyball Invitational Tournament semifinal match-up Dec. 9, in Oxford, Miss.