HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Mississippi Christian University senior outside hitter Cydney Mitchell was named to the 2026 Gulf South Conference (GSC) Volleyball All-Conference Second Team Wednesday, as voted on by the league's head coaches.
Mitchell, a native of Alabaster, Ala., was one of 19 student-athletes from seven programs to earn All-GSC recognition. She was Mississippi Christian's lone selection, earning a spot on the Second Team following a productive season for the Lady Choctaws.
Mitchell appeared in 28 matches, making 27 starts, and played 103 sets during the 2026 campaign. She finished the season with 227 kills, averaging 2.20 kills per set, while recording a .256 hitting percentage. She also contributed 23 assists, 13 service aces and 86 digs.
Defensively, Mitchell totaled 72 blocks, including 39 solo blocks and 33 block assists. She averaged 0.83 digs and 0.70 blocks per set while accounting for 295.5 points, an average of 2.87 points per set.
The All-GSC honor comes as Mississippi Christian prepares for the 2026 GSC Volleyball Championship. The seventh-seeded Lady Choctaws (11-19, 8-10 GSC) will face second-seeded West Alabama on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. CST in Huntsville, Ala.
The tournament is hosted by top-seeded University of Alabama in Huntsville, which finished the regular season atop the conference standings.
UAH led the conference with four All-GSC selections, matching West Alabama's four honorees. Lee and Montevallo had three selections apiece, while Trevecca Nazarene and Valdosta State each had two. Mississippi Christian rounded out the list with Mitchell's Second Team selection.
The conference's 10 head coaches determined the yearly awards and All-GSC teams, with coaches prohibited from voting for student-athletes from their own institutions.
UAH's Kayla Ward was named GSC Player of the Year, while Valdosta State's Eimy Negron Domenech earned Libero of the Year honors. West Alabama's Rachele Zanini swept Setter of the Year and Freshman of the Year, and UAH's Jon Moseley was selected as Coach of the Year.
Mitchell's recognition marks a conference honor for the senior as Mississippi Christian turns its attention to postseason play and Thursday's tournament matchup against the Tigers.
