2018 All-PacWest Volleyball Team

IRVINE, Calif. – Impressing in her freshman year with Academy of Art University volleyball, freshman middle blocker Jillian Wheaton earned All-Pacific West Conference Team Honorable Mention in a Wednesday announcement by the conference office.

"When I saw Jill playing club, I knew she would be a great addition to our program," said head coach Allen McCreary. "What she did this season is just a little taste of what she can bring to this program. She had some very good training in club and her coaches helped her get ready for this level. We are excited to see what more she can do in the years to come. She is someone we can build with as we change the culture here."

This year, the PacWest's head coaches selected First, Second, Third Teams, as well as Honorable Mention, and a Player, Setter, Libero, Freshman, Newcomer, and Coach of the Year.

Wheaton was named PacWest Freshman of the Week three times in her debut season (Sept. 24, Oct. 1, Nov. 5), beginning with a season-best 17 kills plus eight blocks against Notre Dame de Namur on Sept. 21 followed by 11 kills and seven blocks versus Fresno Pacific (Sept. 22). She added another award the following week after hitting .536 over two matches (UH Hilo on Sept. 28 and Hawaii Pacific on Sept. 30) in which she put away 22 total kills. Finally, the freshman led the team with 14 kills and a season-high nine blocks in their Halloween night victory over Holy Names, turned in nine more kills with no errors days later against FPU, and secured her third PacWest weekly honor.

A mere .001 from tying the program's single-season hitting percentage, Wheaton hit at a remarkable .351 rate which was the top hitting percentage among freshmen in the entire West Region (fifth overall in the PacWest). The Animation & Visual Effects major also posted the second-highest blocks per set average (0.93) among freshman in the West Region, settling into the PacWest's top five for much of the later part of the year. She ended up ranking second on the team in kills per set (1.93).

This is Wheaton's first career All-PacWest Team selection.