Mackenzie Roddy
Northern Illinois University senior Mackenzie Roddy (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon) has been named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s All-Midwest Region Team, the association announced Tuesday.
Roddy was one of 14 honorees in the region that includes teams from the Big 12, Missouri Valley and Atlantic 10 Conferences, among others. The senior was also the top vote-getter in the region among outside hitters by appearing on 28 ballots, while ranking third in the region among all positions.
“I think it is wonderful for her to be recognized by the members of the AVCA for such a solid, productive season,” said NIU head coach Ray Gooden. “Mackenzie had a goal of making her senior year her best at NIU. I think in all phases, she did a tremendous job achieving those goals.”
Roddy had a sensational year for the Huskies, leading the Mid-American Conference in kills (514) and kills/set (4.28) to earn First Team All-MAC recognition. She ranked 26th in the country in both kills (4.28 per set) and points (4.82 per set).
A five-time MAC Player of the Week honoree during the season, Roddy finished the 2014 campaign with nine matches of 20 or more kills and five contests with 25 or more spikes, including a 29-kill, .400 average performance against eventual NCAA Tournament qualifier Colorado. Defensively, she was fourth on the team with 274 digs and 2.28 digs/set. Roddy was also third for the Huskies with 64 total blocks and fifth with a 0.53 blocks/set average.
Her performance during the season helped NIU win the MAC West Division title for the second time in four years, while also winning 20 or more matches for the fourth time in the last five seasons. Roddy also becomes the first Huskie to be named to an AVCA All-Region team since 2011, when Kristin Hoffman and Lauren Wicinski both garnered regional honors.
The AVCA All-Region award is broken down into 10 regions that each have a 14-member team and a six-player honorable mention squad. Because Roddy was selected to the all-region team, she will be eligible to be selected as an AVCA All-American.
For more information on NIU volleyball and Huskie athletics, visit www.niuhuskies.com.
