East Michigan News

Eastern Michigan University's volleyball team celebrated a significant achievement as freshman middle blocker Hatteras Welker was named to the Mid-American Conference (MAC) All-Freshman Team. The announcement was made on November 20, following a vote by the conference's 12 head coaches based solely on conference statistics.

Welker, hailing from Sunbury, Ohio, and representing Big Walnut, demonstrated exceptional performance in conference matches. She accumulated 68 total blocks (nine solo and 59 assisted), ranking second in the MAC with an average of 1.24 blocks per set. Her efforts contributed to Eastern Michigan's third-place ranking in both total blocks (158) and blocks per set (2.32) during conference play.

Despite playing fewer sets than most of her peers in the top-10 rankings for total blocks, Welker also made her mark offensively with 88 kills and a total of 132.5 points in MAC play.

Throughout the entire season, Welker led the MAC with 135 total blocks and an average of 1.27 blocks per set, placing her nationally at 22nd and 39th respectively. Her block count set a new freshman record for Eastern Michigan and is the second-highest single-season tally since the rally scoring era began in 2008.

The Eagles' team performance was bolstered by Welker's contributions, leading the MAC with a total of 305.5 blocks and ranking third with an average of 2.48 blocks per set. Nationally, they stood fourth in total blocks and were ranked 52nd for blocks per set.

Welker's standout performances included recording ten blocks against Indiana State on September 20, marking it as the highest number in a four-set match within the MAC this season. Additionally, she achieved eight blocks against Toledo on October 11 and nine against Miami on October 5.

Her offensive stats included a .214 hitting percentage across all matches, along with recording nine kills off a .692 clip during one notable game.

This accolade marks Eastern Michigan's first All-Freshman Team selection since Raeven Chase was honored after the 2019 season and is also noted as Head Coach Kevin Foeman's first such recognition during his tenure.

For more updates on EMU volleyball, fans are encouraged to follow @EMUVolleyball and @EMUAthletics on social media platforms X and Instagram.