KeKe Lawrence Earns NJCAA Volleyball All-American Honors

When freshmen KeKe Lawrence was named an NJCAA Division III second team All-American this week, she continued a tradition for middle hitters at Sandhills Community College.

The 5-foot-11 Lumberton High School graduate was this season's Region 10 Player of the Year for a Lady Flyer squad that finished with a record of 20-7, including a 9-0 mark in conference matches.

According to NJCAA statistics, she was fourth in Division III nationally with a total of 69 block solos and eighth in the nation in blocks total with 78. In a district championship match against No. 3 ranked Butler County CC (PA) in late October, she was credited with a season-high eight solo blocks and 10 kills.

Lawrence follows in the footsteps of Lady Flyer alum Carley Modlin, who was a Division II second team selection last season, and an honorable mention selection as a freshman in 2019.

Setter Abby Wallace was an honorable mention All-American in 2018. In 2017, another middle hitter, Paige Garner, was a first team All-American.

"It was really exciting, especially as a freshman, for KeKe to get this great award," Lady Flyers' Coach Alicia Riggan said during halftime of a Flyers' basketball game she and Lawrence attended on Wednesday.

"It's great for our program, it's great for her hometown and it's great for our team. It definitely keeps a tradition going with our All-Americans. I couldn't be more proud."

Lawrence is the daughter of Vicki and Bruce Lawrence. She is an admirer of Modlin, a Pinecrest High School grad, who competed in the same conference as Lumberton. She got to work out with her at open gyms at Sandhills last summer before Modlin joined her new team at UNC-Asheville.

"I loved watching her play when she was a senior at Pinecrest," Lawrence said. "It was just amazing."

Back in October, Riggan, Lawrence and teammate Mackenzie Swett, another middle hitter, traveled to Buies Creek to watch Campbell University play UNC-Asheville.

Lawrence recalls telling Associate Athletic Director Ryan Riggan last summer, just for fun, that she was going to be an All-American.

"I'm grateful for this accomplishment," she said. "Since the beginning of the season I've worked hard to do what needed to be done."

C. Bergmann