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Kest And Tecca Win MAC Season Awards
3/9/2010 11:25:20 AM | Mid-American Conference

Zips head women's basketball coach Jodi Kest was named Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year while freshman Rachel Tecca received the league's Sixth Player of the Year when postseason honors were announced by the league office today.

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Kest becomes the first UA women's head coach to receive Coach of the Year accolades from the MAC and just the second Akron basketball coach (men's or women's) to do so, following Dan Hipsher, who was presented the award for the men's team in 1997-98.

Tecca is the first UA women's player to receive the MAC Sixth Player of the Year, which is presented to the league's top reserve performer. She was also named to the MAC All-Freshman Team Tuesday, becoming the ninth UA women's player to earn such accolades. It is the fifth straight year that the Zips have been represented on the All-Freshman Team, following current teammates Kara Murphy (2007-08) and Kyle Baumgartner (2008-09).

In just four seasons, Kest, who inherited a program that had won an average of four games per season in the six years prior to her arrival, has elevated the Akron program to unprecedented heights, culminating with this winter's record-setting campaign. UA set highs for overall wins (17), league wins (11) and home wins (11) in 2009-10 and is currently working on the best defensive season in school history. Akron held its opponents to an average of 59.1 points per game during the regular season, which is nearly five full points better than the current record and would also rank as the third-best, single-season mark in MAC history.

"What Jodi has been able to accomplish at Akron has been nothing short of amazing," said UA Director of Athletics Tom Wistrcill. "In a short time, she has transformed a program that had struggled mightily in the past into a championship-caliber team. And most importantly, she's done it the right way; with discipline, a commitment to defense and a sincere devotion to the success of her student-athletes on and off the court."

Under Kest, the Zips have now won more games in her past two seasons alone (28 and counting) than in the six seasons prior to her arrival (24 wins from 2000-01 to 2005-06). With 45 wins since taking over as head coach in 2006, Kest is already ranked fourth on the school's all-time list. With one more victory, Kest will match Roxanne Allen, who won 46 games from 1997-2002, for third place.

In all, it is the fourth time Kest has been named Coach of the Year during her 18-year head coaching career. She was named Independent Coach of the Year at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in 2003, 2004 and 2005 and Middle Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year at Wilkes University in 1988-89.

Tecca has appeared in every game for the Zips as a true freshman and is second on the team in scoring (10.4) and rebounding (6.1) despite averaging just 22.5 minutes a game. The versatile post player is ranked highly among her peers in five categories, including scoring (24th), rebounding (11th), field goal percentage (13th; .441), offensive rebounds (12th; 2.45) and defensive rebounds (15th; 3.66).

"This is a great honor for Rachel and our team," Kest said. "Rachel has excelled in her role and has provided our team with great energy and effort on both ends of the floor. She could have easily started many games for us this year but her impact off the bench provided us with an instant spark. I feel very fortunate to have Rachel on our team. It is hard to believe that she is only a freshman and that her best basketball is still ahead of her."

Moreover, Tecca, who has reached double digits in scoring 15 times, has led the Zips in scoring seven times and rebounding six times as the first option off the bench. In all, Tecca, who is a graduate of Archishop Hoban High School, has posted three double-doubles on the campaign and eclipsed the 20-point barrier for scoring four times this season with a high of 26 at Bowling Green in January.

Postseason Honors Continue for UA
Junior Kara Murphy, who led the Zips with 13.9 points per game this season, was named to the All-MAC Second Team. It is the third time in as many seasons the physical forward has been recognized by the league. Murphy, who is third on Akron's all-time scoring list with 1,433 points in 90 career games, was a third team honoree in 2007-08 and a first team standout in 2008-09.

Murphy, who started every game for the Zips, led UA in scoring 14 times in 29 games this season and reached double figures on 21 occasions. She surpassed the 20-point mark five times in 2009-10 with a high of 28 at Robert Morris in November. Murphy, a native of Hartville, Ohio, and a former St. Vincent-St. Mary High School star, was named team captain for the second straight year this winter.

Sophomore Kyle Baumgartner, who is second on the team in scoring (10.4) and third in rebounding (5.9), also earned all-league status Tuesday. The graduate of North Canton Hoover High School picked up Honorable Mention honors after leading the Zips in scoring and rebounding five times.

Baumgartner appeared in every game for UA and started all but two; reaching double digits in scoring 15 times. Displaying her big-shot ability, center hit the game-winning 3-pointer with three seconds left to defeat IPFW in early December and connected on another triple to seal a come-from-behind victory at Buffalo last month.

2009-10 MAC Postseason Honors

MAC Specialty Awards
Player of the Year: Lauren Prochaska, Bowling Green
Sixth Player of the Year: Rachel Tecca, Akron
Defensive Player of the Year: Kourtney Brown, Buffalo
Freshman of the Year: Courtney Osborn, Miami
Coach of the Year: Jodi Kest, Akron
All-MAC Postseason Teams
First Team
Lauren Prochaska, Bowling Green
Kourtney Brown, Buffalo
Tavelyn James, Eastern Michigan
Jamilah Humes, Kent State
Tanika Mays, Toledo

Second Team
Kara Murphy, Akron
Emily Maggert, Ball State
Tracy Pontius, Bowling Green
Marke Freeman, Northern Illinois
Naama Shafir, Toledo

Third Team
Britni Houghton, Central Michigan
Shonda Long, Central Michigan
Kaihla Szunko, Central Michigan
Taisja Jones, Kent State
Courtney Osborn, Miami

Honorable Mention
Kyle Baumgartner, Akron
Audrey McDonald, Ball State
Jennifer Bushby, Ohio
Melissa Goodall, Toledo
Miame Giden, Western Michigan

All-Freshman
Rachel Tecca, Akron
Abby Dowd , Buffalo, Guard
Rachel Mauk, Central Michigan
Kirsten Olowinski, Miami

Courtney Osborn, Miami

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