FOREST, Va. — Averett University volleyball capped off a memorable first season in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference as three Cougars earned 2022 All-ODAC awards and first-year head coach Olivia Earls was voted ODAC Coach of the Year for leading Averett to the ODAC championship game, the ODAC announced Sunday following the tournament.
 
Averett juniors Sarah Marlowe and Erin Gray were both named to the 2022 All-ODAC First Team, while senior Morgan Barnes was voted to the All-ODAC Second Team as Averett went 20-11 this season overall with a 10-2 mark in league play.
 
Marlowe, an outside hitter from Danville, Virginia, averaged 2.96 kills per set with a team-high 337 kills this season for Averett. She also had 53 digs and 56 total blocks in 114 sets over 31 matches played. Marlowe earned ODAC Player of the Week once this season.
 
Gray, a native of Virginia Beach, Virginia, was selected as the ODAC's top libero after averaging 5.42 digs with 629total digs — the fourth highest single-season digs total in ODAC history and within 40 digs of the Averett program record. Gray also had 139 assists and a team-high 37 service aces.
 
Barnes, a middle hitter from Cornelius, North Carolina averaged 2.01 kills per set with 233 total kills while hitting .282 on the season. She also led the team with 85 total blocks and made 87 digs with 36 service aces.
 
Earls took over Averett's storied volleyball program and helped the Cougars make the transition to the ODAC in her first season with success. She guided Averett to big wins in the regular season over Randolph-Macon College, Washington and Lee University and the University of Mary Washington, then coached the Cougars to a strong ODAC Tournament run that saw Averett beat Eastern Mennonite University and Washington and Lee to get to the championship match against the Yellow Jackets.