CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Three Panthers were named to the Big South Volleyball All-Decade Team presented by Hercules Tires the league office announced Friday afternoon (June 5). Former High Point University standouts Haley Barnes and Molly Livingston were joined by current libero Abby Bottomley on the squad. All three were teammates on High Point's 2017 team that earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
 
Haley Barnes | Neenah, Wis. | 2014-17
Barnes was a three-time All-Big South selection, earning First Team honors all three years and made an appearance on the All-Freshman Team in her first season. She was a two-time selection to the Big South All-Academic Team and was the conference's Scholar-Athlete of the Year in her senior season while making the College Sports Information Directors of America's Academic All-District Team. In 2016 Barnes was named to the Big South All-Tournament Team and was the event's MVP, becoming just the second HPU player to win the award.
 
She is second in program history in career kills (1,408) and sixth in kills per set. She also has 1,184 digs for sixth place in HPU history and 146 aces for third place all-time to be just one of three Panthers with 1,000 kills, 1,000 digs, and 100 aces in their careers. Barnes' 25 kills against Marshall in 2015 are the third-most in a single match in program history and her five aces against Wofford earlier that same season are tied for the most in a five-set match for the Purple and White.
 
Molly Livingston | Sun Prairie, Wis. | 2015-18
Livingston was a four-time All-Conference selection, taking home three First Team awards. She was named the Freshman of the Year in her first season and as a senior was named Player of the Year, becoming the only Panther to be named Big South Player of the Year. She was a two-time All-Tournament selection and earned MVP honors in her senior season, two years after Barnes won the same award. Livingston won four Big South Player of the Week awards over her career, the most in program history, and was a two-time honorable mention on the AVCA's All-Southeast Region Team.
 
Livingston is 10th in program history in kills with 1,083 and is the only Panther to hit over .300 with at least 1,000 attacks in her career, leading the pack with a .351 hitting percentage. She ended her career with 390 total blocks and averaged 0.92 blocks per set, the most in school history in both categories while her 144 aces are the fourth-most in program history. She is one of just four players in program history to record 1,000 kills and 200 blocks in her career. Her 11 total blocks against USC Upstate in 2018 are tied for the most in program history and are the most a Panther has recorded in a three-set match while her .722 hitting percentage at Northern Illinois is the best mark for a Panther in a four-set match.
 
Abby Bottomley | Virginia Beach, Va. | 2017-Pres.
Bottomley is entering her senior year in 2020 but accomplished enough in her first three seasons to earn a spot on the team. She is a three-time All-Big South First Team Selection and was named the Freshman of the Year in 2017. She was High Point's representative on the All-Academic Team this past season in 2019 and was named the Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year, becoming the third Panther in five years to win the award and was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team. Bottomley was named the Big South Defensive Player of the Week a record six times in 2019 for a total of 14 times in her career, double the amount of the next closest Panther.
 
She holds four of the top 10 single-match dig records in program history, including three matches with more than 40 digs in a match. Her 673 digs in 2019 were 16 shy of breaking the program record and give her 1,819 in her career, 89 shy of moving into second place on HPU's all-time list. She is the only player to average over 5.00 digs per set in her career, entering her final season with 5.35 digs each set. Bottomley also has 93 career aces to her name for ninth place on HPU's leaderboard, seven shy of becoming the sixth player in the Purple and White to join the 1,000 digs and 100 aces club.
 
All three players are the first Panthers in program history to be named to the Big South All-Decade Team.
 
Volleyball All-Decade Team candidates were determined based on being at least one of the following: 1) Was a multiple All-Conference honoree; 2) Was named an All-American; 3) Is a member of the Big South Conference Hall of Fame; 4) Student-athletes must be a college graduate or in good academic standing with their respective institution; 5) Won a Conference Championship as a coach and/or was voted Conference Coach of the Year.  Candidates that participated in two different decades were placed in a specific decade based on consultation from member institutions, and were listed under their primary position during their careers.  Member institutions also had final determination in regards to inclusion of student-athletes and coaches. Previous Volleyball All-Decade Teams were recognized for the years 1986-89, 1990-99, and 2000-09.
 
 
Hercules Tires Big South All-Decade Team Announcement Schedule
 

• June 1: Women's Cross Country
• June 3: Men's Cross Country
• June 3: Women's Soccer
• June 4: Men's Soccer
• June 5: Volleyball
• June 8: Football
• June 9: Women's Indoor Track & Field
• June 10: Men's Indoor Track & Field
• June 11: Women's Basketball
• June 12: Men's Basketball
• June 15: Women's Tennis
• June 16: Men's Tennis
• June 17: Women's Golf
• June 18: Men's Golf
• June 19: Women's Lacrosse
• June 22: Women's Outdoor Track & field
• June 23: Men's Outdoor Track & Field
• June 24: Softball
• June 25: Baseball