Trio of Cougars Earn All-Region I Division II Honors
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Sophomores Rylea Simonich (First Team), Mikelle McAfee (Second Team), and Ayanna Rae LeBlanc (Honorable Mention) of the South Mountain Community College women's volleyball team earned All-Region I Division II honors for their play in the 2024 season. Simonich led SMCC with 328 kills and surpassed 500 for her career, McAfee had a team-high 588 digs to go over 1,000 for her career, and LeBlanc posted 115 total blocks to set a new program best since the 2012 season.
Simonich had 14 double-doubles on the year and finished the regular season third among all Region I Division II players with 328 kills. In conference action, Simonich had 251 kills, an average of 3.49 per set, with a .210 hitting percentage and 221 digs in 18 matches.
She had a career-high 22 kills twice (at Scottsdale on Sept. 4 and at Chandler-Gilbert CC on Sept. 13) and had 21 kills at Mesa CC on Sept. 19. Simonich set a new career high with 24 digs against Mesa CC on Oct. 16, had 11 other matches with at least 13, and conclude the year second on the squad with 284 over 27 matches.
Simonich also totaled 51 blocks (15 solos, 36 assists), 27 service aces, and 17 assists. She became the first Cougar since 2018 to reach 500 career kills, and her 328 for the season ranks fourth in program history since 2012. As a freshman, Simonich earned Second-Team All-ACCAC and Second-Team All-Region I Division II honors after posting a league-best 66 solo blocks, the most in program history since the 2012 season, and 212 kills.
McAfee finished second among all Region I Division II players with 588 digs in the regular season, averaging 5.71 per set. In 18 ACCAC matches, she posted 401 digs, an average of 5.49 per set, to also rank second.
McAfee posted a career-high 42 digs in a five-set match with Mesa CC on Aug. 28 and had 34 in another match against the Thunderbirds on Sept. 19. She recorded 32 digs at CGCC in the season finale on Nov. 1 and had at least 20 digs on 14 other matches.
She led SMCC with 43 service aces, the most among all Region I Division II players in the regular season. She had a career-high five aces at MCC on Sept. 19 and at least three in eight other matches. McAfee also recorded 79 assists this year, ending her career with 1,078 digs and 84 service aces.
LeBlanc finished the year with 182 kills, an average of 1.77 per set while hitting .243 in 27 matches. She led SMCC and all Region I Division II players in the regular season with 115 total blocks (28 solos, 87 assists), the most in program history since the start of the 2012 season.
LeBlanc recorded a career-high 11 total blocks (1 solo, 10 assists) in a win at Phoenix College on Sept. 25. She also had nine total blocks (two solos, seven assists) in a win against Phoenix College on Sept. 17. She had at least five total blocks in 11 other matches.
She had a career-high 18 kills and hit .500 in 34 attacks in a win over the Bears on Sept. 17 and posted at least 10 kills in seven other matches. LeBlanc finished her career with 255 kills and 155 total blocks (52 solos, 103 assists) in 50 matches.