ASHLAND — Sophomore Jodi Johnson, senior teammates Laina Snyder and Andi Daugherty, and coach Robyn Fralick, all earned national honors for the Ashland women’s basketball team just ahead of Monday night’s Elite Eight tournament in South Dakota.
Johnson was selected the 2018 WBCA NCAA Division II Player of the Year and headlines the 2018 WBCA NCAA Division II Coaches’ All-America team, announced Sunday in Atlanta by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.
“The WBCA is pleased to name Jodi Johnson as the 2018 WBCA NCAA Division II Player of the Year,” said Danielle Donehew, executive director of the WBCA. “Jodi has played an integral role in guiding her team to an extraordinary season and is very deserving of this distinguished honor. The WBCA applauds Jodi for her hard work, dedication and contributions to the game during the 2017-18 season.”
Johnson led Ashland to its second-straight undefeated regular season. She averaged 19.3 points per game on 62.2 percent shooting from the field. She also added 5.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.8 steals per game. Her 60.9 percent from 3-point range was good enough for tops in the conference.
The sophomore guard was the second straight Ashland player to be named Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year, joining her teammate Laina Snyder, who received the honor last year.
In addition, Fralick garnered the 2018 United States Marine Corps/WBCA NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year award.
Fralick has guided the Eagles to a 34-0 record, a second consecutive Elite Eight appearance, and GLIAC regular-season and tournament titles for the third year in a row. Fralick, 102-2 (.981) with a national championship in three seasons at the AU helm, has earned the WBCA National Coach of the Year award for the second straight season, and has garnered the program’s third such honor (Sue Ramsey in 2011-12).
Fralick, who also was named the WBCA Division II Region 4 Coach of the Year, will be presented with the Pat Summitt Trophy, named for the legendary University of Tennessee coach, during the 2018 WBCA Convention, which will be in conjunction with the NCAA® Women’s Final Four in Columbus, Ohio.
Snyder, who also was a WBCA honorable-mention selection as a sophomore, is averaging 19.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.6 steals per game this season, while shooting 53.0 percent from the field, 34.7 percent from 3-point range and 77.8 percent from the foul line.
Daugherty landed on the WBCA honorable-mention All-America list for the second time (2015-16). A first-teamer as a junior, Daugherty is averaging 14.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game, and is hitting 55.3 percent from the floor, 41.8 percent from beyond the arc and 89.8 percent from the charity stripe.
Ashland is the only Division II women’s hoops team with two first-team WBCA All-Americans, and three WBCA All-Americans overall, this season.
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