WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - As the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Volleyball championships begin, the league announced the end-of-season honors Thursday night.

Holiday Ellis, a graduate from Inglewood, California, was named CIAA Offensive Player of the Year. Ellis so far has 301 kills, 760 attacks, 16 assists, 30 aces, 229 digs, 16 blocks, and 341 points (1st in the conference in points). She is also 8th in hitting percentage. Holiday's best came on September 12th against Ellis, who had a season-high 22 kills, 52 total attacks, one ace and 15 digs. She had 10 or more kills in 17 games, 20 or more in two games, and one ace or more nine times. Holiday had four aces against St. Anselm on September 13th. She had 10 or more digs in 11 games, with her season-high being 21 digs against Shaw on September 29th. She has been named Offensive Player of the Week twice.

Kamiyah Wilson, a sophomore from Kenersville, North Carolina, was named to the First Team. So far this season, she has 164 kills, 330 total attacks, 15 assists, 11 aces, 58 digs, 60 blocks and 221 points. Wilson's best came on September 13th against St. Anselm Willson had 14 kills, one ace, seven digs and a season-high seven blocks.  She had 5 or more kills in 17games, she had a season-high 17 kills on October 4th against Virginia State. Wilson had a season-high five aces against Shaw on September 29th. Kamiyah had four or more digs in six games. Two or more blocks in 17 games. Wilson also had seven blocks against Davis & Elkins on September 13th. 

Zoe Chesson, a sophomore from Fuquay Varina, North Carolina was named to the Second Team. So far this season, she has 160 kills, 313  total attacks, 16 assists, nine aces, 57 digs, 58 blocks, and 211 points. Chesson's best game came on September 20th against WVWU, she had 12 kills and six blocks. Zoe leads the conference in hitting percentage. Zoe had 5 or more kills in 14 games. She had a season-high 15 kills against Claflin on October 27th. She had two or more blocks in 14 games. She had a season-high six blocks in back-to-back games against WVWU and FSU.

Angelica Turnage, a freshman from Franklinton, North Carolina was named to the All-Rookie Team. So far this season she has 118 kills, 361 total attacks, one assist, six aces, 53 digs, 19 blocks and 138 points. Turnage's best game came on September 25th against Fayetteville State, she had 10 kills, seven digs and two blocks. Angelica had 5 or more kills in 13 games, one or more blocks in 11 games. Turnage had a season-high four blocks against Livingstone on October 13th. 


Head Coach Christa Brown was named Coach of the Year. Brown has led the Rams to the CIAA Southern Division champions with an outstanding record of 16-9, 13-3 in the CIAA. Her Rams lead in hitting percentage and assists and are second in kills. Under her leadership, WSSU elevated its defensive identity, developed multiple All-CIAA selections, and delivered one of the program's most impressive seasons of the decade.

The Rams open the tournament as the number one seed in the South and will face the number four seed in the North Bowie State in the quarterfinals tomorrow, November 21 at 4:00 pm on the campus of Bowie State University.