BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. -- The West Virginia State University volleyball team received multiple accolades from the Mountain East Conference when the league announced its all-conference awards on Wednesday afternoon. The highest honors went to Head Coach Kris Kern, who was named Coach of the Year, and senior outside hitter Jenna Dufresne, who was designated Player of the Year. Additionally, senior middle hitter Grace Martin was named to the All-MEC First Team while senior outside hitter Gabrielle Bullock earned All-MEC Second Team honors. Sophomore setter Kiersten Eggleton was also honored on the All-MEC Honorable Mention shortlist.

Kern is the MEC Coach of the Year for the first time after leading West Virginia State to the South Division title for the second consecutive year. The Yellow Jackets posted a 27-3 record this fall, including a 15-1 mark in conference play, and are the hosts for the MEC Tournament for a second-straight year. In his fifth season at WVSU, Kern has helped overhaul a program that had 21 wins combined in the three seasons prior to his arrival and has led them 97 wins during his tenure while recording a .678 winning percentage. He has also put WVSU in contention for NCAA postseason play with the Yellow Jackets being ranked sixth in the most recent Atlantic Region rankings.

Dufresne earned Player of the Year honors for the second season in a row after ranking among the league leaders in multiple categories. She ranks eighth in the country with 4.34 kills per set, and contributes 4.68 points per set -- 12th-best in the nation. She hit .312 on the year and also had 41.0 blocks and contributed 223 digs (2.39 digs/set) for the Yellow Jackets.

Martin made the leap from All-MEC Honorable Mention in the spring to the All-MEC First Team in the fall. She currently ranks fourth in NCAA Division II with 133 total blocks and fifth in the nation in blocks per set with 1.39. Her .316 hitting percentage is seventh-best in the MEC and her 38 service aces is the fourth-highest total in the league.

Bullock earned all-conference honors for the fourth consecutive season when she made the All-MEC Second Team. Her 239 kills was the second-largest contribution on the team this season. She also contributed on the defensive end with 129 digs and 39 blocks, which were both sixth-best on the squad.

Eggleton earned all-conference honors for the first time in her young career with an All-MEC Honorable Mention. She led the Yellow Jackets in assists with 497 while racking up 232 points by way of 167 kills, 37 service aces, 50 block assists, and three solo blocks. She also had 224 digs which was third-best on the team.