High Point's Dylan Maberry Voted 2023-24 Wanda Watkins Female Athlete of the Year
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – High Point volleyball player
Dylan Maberry (Magnolia, Texas) has been voted the Big South Conference Wanda Watkins Female Athlete of the Year for the 2023-24 season by the league’s Athletics Directors, Senior Woman Administrators and Sports Information Directors, it was announced today by the conference office. The candidates for the annual award consist of the Players of the Year from each sport, and must be deemed eligible for the honor by their respective school. Maberry is High Point’s fourth consecutive recipient of the conference’s Wanda Watkins Female Athlete of the Year Award and the third overall volleyball student-athlete to be honored in the award’s history.
Maberry capped her 2023 season with All-Region and All-America honors from the AVCA, becoming the first-ever Big South volleyball student-athlete with two career All-America honors. She was the fourth consecutive Panther to be voted Big South Volleyball Player of the Year, and was HPU’s fifth honoree in the last six seasons. Maberry appeared in all 110 sets this past season and led the team and Big South with 453 kills for a 4.12 average per set -- the lone Big South player to average at least 4.00 kills. She collected seven 20-plus kill matches in 2023, including a career-high 29 versus Wofford. She also led the squad and conference with 47 service aces and had a season-high five at USC Upstate. Maberry concluded the campaign as the conference leader in points with 531.5 (4.83 per set), while her 269 digs were second-most for the Panthers. In Big South matches, Maberry averaged 5.42 points per set (238.5 total), 4.48 kills per set (197 total), had 27 service aces, 126 digs and 24 blocks in leading High Point to a perfect 14-0 conference record and outright regular-season championship. The four-time Big South Player of the Week honoree last season also collected Big South All-Tournament team honors in helping the Panthers win the conference title for the second consecutive year.
She received 68 points and eight first-place votes, ahead of Charleston Southern track & field athlete
Chloe Greene, who was second with 46 points (five first-place votes). CSU softball pitcher
Nealy Lamb was third with 42 points (one first-place votes).
In March 2000, the Big South Conference Executive Committee voted to create an annual Male and Female Student-Athlete of the Year award, and named the male award in honor of former Charleston Southern Athletic Director
Howard Bagwell, who was one of the founders of the Big South Conference and an inaugural inductee into the league’s Hall of Fame. In June 2022, the Executive Committee named the female award in honor of former Campbell women’s basketball coach/administrator and Big South Hall of Famer
Wanda Watkins. The Athlete of the Year awards have been presented annually since 1999-00, with the exception of 2019-20 due to the season being incomplete and eventually canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The annual Watkins Female Athlete of the Year honorees are listed below.
WANDA WATKINS FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
2023-24 - Dylan Maberry, High Point (volleyball)
2022-23 - Sydney Horn, High Point (track & field)
2021-22 - Abby Hormes, High Point (lacrosse)
2020-21 - Abby Bottomley, High Point (volleyball)
2018-19 - Lauren Proctor, Winthrop (tennis)
2017-18 - Lauren Proctor, Winthrop (tennis)
2016-17 - Marthaline Cooper, Winthrop (track & field)
2015-16 - Ednah Kurgat, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2014-15 - Megan Baltzell, Longwood (softball)
2013-14 - Dequesha McClanahan, Winthrop (basketball)
2012-13 - Brooke Short, Longwood (softball)
2011-12 - Gabrielle Houston, Charleston Southern (track & field)
2010-11 - Natalie Pearson, UNC Asheville (track & field)
2009-10 - Kristen Shifflett, Radford (softball)
2008-09 - Megan Frazee, Liberty (basketball)
2007-08 - Megan Frazee, Liberty (basketball)
2006-07 - Aruka Felgueroso, Coastal Carolina (golf)
2005-06 - Tiffany Evans, Radford (track & field)
2004-05 - Katie Feenstra, Liberty (basketball)
2003-04 - Katie Feenstra, Liberty (basketball)
2002-03 - Amber Campbell, Coastal Carolina (track & field)
2001-02 - Heather Sagan, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2000-01 - Amber Campbell, Coastal Carolina (track & field)
1999-00 - Anthonia Akpama, Liberty (volleyball)