Day, Friday among HCAC’s women’s basketball players recognized with 2022-23 season awards

CARMEL, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference announced the 2022-23 women's basketball All-Conference teams and awards on Wednesday with two Defiance College Yellow Jackets recognized for their efforts on the court. Senior Taylor Day was named HCAC Honorable Mention for the third time in her career while freshman Kalista Friday was one of six first-year players chosen to the Newcomer Team. All awards were decided by a vote among the conference's head coaches.

Day was Defiance's leading scorer and rebounder at 10.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game and appeared in 24 of the team's 25 games. A graduate student from West Mansfield, Ohio, Day's final season was highlighted by 11 games scoring in double figures and two double-doubles. She set a new single-game career high with 29 poins at Franklin on January 21 and ended her time in a Jackets uniform just 44 points shy of 1,000 with over 500 rebounds.

"Taylor has been a senior leader for us in scoring and rebounding all year and very deserving of this recognition from the coaches in the league," says DC women's basketball coach Rod Hersha.

Friday played in all 25 games during her first season at Defiance and made six starts. She was third on the team in scoring at 8.6 points per game, good for 23rd in the HCAC and second-best among first-year players, and was one of three players to hit at least 20 3-pointers on the season. Friday also led the team in steals with 43 while hitting 85 percent of her free throws.

"Kalista has proven herself to be one of the better first-year players in the league," says Coach Hersha. "She has not only led the team in several categories in given games but also shawn unusual leadership for a young player with her competitiveness and competitive maturity."

The full list of season-end awards and all-conference teams for the HCAC are listed below.

Co-Players of the Year: Lexi Dellinger (Anderson, Sr., G) and Madison Kellione (Transylvania, Sr., G)

Defensive Player of the Year: Kennedi Stacy (Transylvania, Sr., G)

Newcomer of the Year: Jordan Coon (Franklin, Fr., G)

Coach of the Year: Juli Fulks (Transylvania)

2023 HCAC All-Conference First Team

2023 HCAC All-Conference Second Team

2023 HCAC All-Conference Honorable Mention

2023 HCAC Newcomer Team

-JACKETS-