CHATTANOOGA --- Following a stellar year at the No. 1 position, the Chattanooga Mocs beach volleyball sophomore duo of
Neva Clark and
Joy Courtright have been named the Ohio Valley Conference Pair of the Year, the league announced at its championship banquet on Wednesday night.
In addition to the pairing honor, Clark was tabbed the OVC Player of the Year while the tandem solidified its spot on the All-OVC First Team. The rookie pairing of
McKenna Faychak and
Maddie Lecik earned All-OVC Second Team and All-Freshman honors after a successful 2023 season at the No. 2 position.
"When you have student-athletes who put in the time and effort, it's great to see them recognized," said head coach
Darin Van Horn.
"Neva and Joy have been a pair who has grown as a duo all year long. They are both competitive, hard-working athletes and are great representatives of our program."
For the season, Clark and Courtright are 17-9 overall together as a pair in the No. 1 slot and have gone a combined 7-3 over the past 10 matches. Clark was tabbed the 2023 OVC Preseason Player of the Year while Courtright checked in at No. 9 in the initial rankings earlier this season.
Speaking on Clark's individual top honor, Van Horn added, "Neva's work ethic and commitment to the sport is top tier. She is a student of the game consistently evaluating herself and others so she can be better. There's a lot of great players in this conference, but it's great to see her hard work pay off."
Faychak and Lecik had a solid rookie campaign at the No. 2 position and have been on a rip over the last few weeks. The duo has won its last five matches and have gone 8-2 in the last 10 overall heading into this week's OVC Tournament.
"Kenny and Lee have really hit their stride towards the end of this year. They've had lots of adversity throughout the season, but I have been so proud to watch them mature and develop as freshmen through their experiences. Their future will continue to be bright."
2023 OVC BEACH CHAMPIONSHIPS
April 27-29, 2023 | Martin, Tenn.
Tournament Central
Chattanooga will enter the OVC Championships as the No. 2 seed and will await the winner of No. 3 Morehead State and No. 6 Eastern Illinois in the quarterfinals on Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET. All matches this weekend will be LIVE on ESPN+ with links available on the schedule page.
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