As fall sports start up for the 2024 season, here are 10 athletes to keep an eye on during their respective seasons.
Football:
Pierce Holley
The graduate quarterback from Arvada, Colorado, recorded 240 completions for 2,741 yards along with 17 touchdowns during the 2023 season.
Holley helped lead the team to an 8-3 season while producing one of the biggest turnarounds within the Football Championship Subdivision.
Holley was also named the 2024 Big South-Ohio Valley Conference preseason offensive player of the year, and Holley is also named on the Walter Payton Award preseason watchlist.
Elijawah Tolbert
The senior linebacker from Country Club Hills recorded 87 total tackles (46 solo, 41 assisted) and one interception.
Tolbert tied in third place for the most tackles in the Big South-OVC Conference.
Tolbert was also named a Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-American, and Tolbert is also named on the Buck Buchanan award watch list.
Volleyball:
Catalina Rochaix
The junior setter from Cordoba, Argentina, was named the OVC setter of the year along with a First Team All-OVC spot.
Rochaix ended the 2023 season with 1,279 assists, 214 digs, 56 kills and 25 service aces.
Rochaix helped the team end the 2023 season with a 28-5 overall record, a 15-3 OVC record, the OVC regular season championship, the OVC tournament championship and a spot in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament.
Ireland Hieb
The graduate middle blocker from Highland Park is coming back to the roster, using her COVID-19 season to play with the Panthers. Hieb used her medical redshirt season in 2023.
Hieb ended the 2022 season with 128 kills, 67 blocks, 34 digs and seven service aces.
Soccer:
Sam Eccles
The graduate forward from Sheffield, England, was named part of the 2023 Second Team All-OVC.
Eccles played all 18 games for the Panthers and recorded four goals and three assists throughout the season.
Eccles helped lead the team to the OVC Tournament, knocking off third-seeded Liberty University as the number eight seed.
Alex Tetteh
The sophomore forward from Plainfield started nine times and played every game in the 2023 season.
Tetteh recorded three goals and one assist while recording 12 shots.
As a freshman, Tetteh was named part of the 2023 All-OVC Newcomer Team and the Second Team All-OVC.
Tennis:
Zach White
The senior from Lexington, Kentucky, finished the 2024 spring season with a total of six wins in single matches.
White had four out of his six singles wins when he was scheduled as the fourth match in the event.
White also won four matches in the doubles category.
Aleyla Wooten
The junior from Lakeland, Tennessee, won five single matches during the 2024 spring season.
Wooten won her five matches when she was scheduled as the second match in the event.
Wooten also won five matches in the doubles category.
Cross Country:
Michael Atkins
The junior from Wheaton was named part of the 2023 First Team All-OVC.
Atkins finished the final race of the 2023 cross country season with an 8K time of 23:50.06. Atkins recorded a third place finish and helped the Panthers win their fifth straight OVC Championship.
Mackenzie Aldridge
The fifth year from Crystal Lake made her second straight First Team All-OVC last season.
Aldridge finished in second place at the OVC Championship with a 6K time of 21:11.85 to help the Panthers win their second straight OVC Championship. Aldridge’s time is also ranked second on the all-time list in program history.
Aldridge also finished in 70th place at the NCAA Regionals with a 6K time of 22:02.4.
Zaria Flippin can be reached at 581-2812 or zhflippin@eiu.edu.
