Contributions from Little East Conference
 
GORHAM, Maine – Jess Williamson '18, a former two-time Little East Conference major award winner and four-time All-LEC selection as member of the University of Southern Maine women's volleyball team from 2014-17 has been selected for induction into the Little East Conference Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026.
 
The Little East Conference is inducting nine individuals and one team as part of its 2026 Hall of Fame class. Members are nominated by their alma maters and voted upon by the league's nine Athletic Directors, and includes individuals representing each Little East institution. Williamson is joined by former USM men's track & field standout Jamie Ruginski '25 for the year's induction. Additionally, the Huskies' 1997-1998 women's basketball team will be inducted. The University of Southern Maine Department of Athletics will honor Williamson at the Huskies' tri-match during Homecoming weekend on September 26.
 
In her first season with the Huskies, Williamson was named the 2014 LEC Rookie of the Year and a Second Team All-LEC selection after tallying 456 kills (4.83 per set) and 339 digs (3.23 per set). She was also named the ECAC Division III New England Rookie of the Year and Second Team All-ECAC Division III New England. She earned First Team All-LEC honors in each of the next three seasons and was named the 2017 LEC Offensive Player of the Year after an outstanding senior season. She led the team in kills all four seasons, while finishing second in digs three times and leading the squad in that category as junior with 270 (2.87 per set).
 
Williamson led the LEC in kills in each of her four seasons and topped the conference in kills per set in three of her four years. She ranked in the top-25 in NCAA Division III in kills per set four times and ranked in the top-25 in the country in kills three times. 
 
Williamson still ranks first in career kills (1,849), kills per set (4.423) and attack attempts (4,499) in program history. She is fourth all-time in digs (1,310), fifth in hitting percentage (.254), sixth in digs per set (3.134), ninth in block assists (61), and ninth in service aces (155). She is the only player in school history to compile 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career.
 
Williamson earned her bachelor's degree from Southern Maine in biology in 2018 and was inducted into USM's Husky Hall of Fame in 2023. In May 2022, Williamson received her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Oklahoma State University, College of Veterinary Medicine. She was a Dean's Honor Roll recipient at Oklahoma State, and a four-time President's Honor Roll recipient (4.0 GPA). She was inducted into the Phi Zeta Honor Society (fourth-year veterinary students in the top 10% of their class) in 2022.