Per GoBearcats:
The University of Cincinnati’s Maria Mallon earned First Team All-Conference honors and Abby Walker received the Freshman of the Year award and Second Team All-Conference recognition from the American Athletic Conference Tuesday afternoon.
SENIOR RECOGNITION
For the fourth consecutive season, Mallon secured her fourth All-Conference accolade, receiving First Team All-Conference recognition in 2018 and 2019 and Second All-Conference recognition in 2020.
Mallon started and played in every match (28) and set (113) for the Bearcats this season and finished with 396 kills, 409 digs, and 38 service aces along with 44 total blocks. She ranked fourth in the AAC in points (459.5), fifth in points per set (4.07), fourth in total kills (396), fifth in kills per set (3.50), fifth in total attacks (1,079), seventh in services aces (38) and seventh in total digs (409). During the season, she earned Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 6, Offensive Player of the Week Sept. 20, and two honor roll recognitions.
Mallon broke a slew of records her senior season, earning herself multiple spots in the UC record book. She sits in the number seven spot in career services aces with 114. She owns the eighth spot in both career kills and digs for the Bearcats during the rally-scoring era with 1,251 total career kills and 1,113 total career digs. She is also only the ninth player in Bearcats’ volleyball history to join the elite 1,000 kills-1,000 digs club – joining former teammates Carly Nolan and Jordan Thompson, with all three coached by head coach Molly Alvey.
BREAKOUT SEASON
Walker was awarded the first Freshman of the Year honors in the AAC for the Bearcats since Jordan Thompson earned the honor in 2015.
Walker is the 19th Bearcat to earn All-Conference honors, also earning a spot on the Second Team All-Conference list. Along with Mallon, she started and played in every match (28) and set (113) for the Bearcats this season and finished with 286 kills and a .312 hitting percentage, 73 total blocks and 39 service aces along with 62 digs. She finished fifth in the conference in service aces (39) and 17th in kills per set (2.53). She was named AAC Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 4th and earned a spot on the honor roll three times this season.
