MACON, Ga. – Following a perfect run through the Atlantic Sun Conference volleyball season for the second-straight season, the Lipscomb Lady Bisons place two student-athletes on the A-Sun All-Conference First Team as the league’s coaches tabbed Stefine “Jake” Pease and Alex Kelly as unanimous selections to the team.
Credit: AtlanticSun.org
Pease picked up Player of the Year honors, an award that Kelly earned the past two seasons. Kelly became only the fourth in A-Sun history to earn First-Team honors all four years, and the first since Belmont’s Colleen Nilson (2004-07). Lipscomb became the third A-Sun school to produce three straight Players of the Year, joining UCF, whose Emily Queisser, Renata Menchikova and Tyra Harper won from 1995 through 1997 and Florida A&M, whose Kim Funchess won the award in 1986, 1987 and 1988.
Kennesaw State’s Karen Weatherington grabbed the Coach of the Year honor after guiding the Owls to a 9-1 conference mark and the second seed in the A-Sun Championship later this week. During the season, she guided the Owls to a program-best eight game win streak during the regular season and has already matched last year’s win count, 17, enter the A-Sun Championship
Sabrita Gulley joined Pease and Kelly on the first team as the senior outside hitter totaled 367 kills with a .279 hitting percentage, ninth in the conference. Two other outside hitters accompanied Gulley as Belmont’s Kayla Albritton and Jacksonville’ Aidan Yeager earned nods for their season performances. Albritton ranked second in the league in service aces with 46 along with her 386 kills, while Yeager totaled 331.5 points mostly coming from her 259 kills and 30 service aces.
Mercer’s Charlotte Harris swept up the Libero of the Year award as well as after topping the conference in total digs (618) and digs per set (5.47). Harris’ individual award represents the first for the Bears since Jen Darty received the Freshman of the Year award in 2006. ETSU’s Alysa Long rounded out the all-conference team as the senior headed the conference in two categories; hitting percentage (.338) and total blocks (149).
Belmont’s Hannah Miranda and Kennesaw State’s Sara Metroka received unanimous selections to the all-freshman team, while ETSU’s Megan Devine took the Freshman of the Year award after ranking seventh in kills per set in the conference at 2.92.
Pease, Harris, Devine and coach Weathington will look to add team hardware to their individual honors at this week’s Atlantic Sun Volleyball Championship. First-round play begins at 5 p.m., on Thursday from FGCU’s Alico Arena. All the action airs on ASun.TV, free of charge.
Release taken from AtlanticSun.org