The South Atlantic Conference Announces 2015 Volleyball Annual Awards
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSac.com) – Wingate right side hitter Shelly Stumpff was voted the 2015 South Atlantic Conference Volleyball Player of the Year, while Carson-Newman's Natalie Harris was voted the Conference's Freshman of the Year. In addition, Wingate mentor Shelton Collier was tabbed the Coach of the Year, the League announced today.
Stumpff, a senior from Iowa City, Iowa closed the regular season ranking first in six categories in the Conference. In kills per set, Stumpff averaged 3.89 while totaling 381 kills, and accumulated 468 points, averaging 4.8 points per set to secure herself as the leader in those statistics. For a second straight year, the senior placed first in service aces per set at 0.61, which also ranks her fifth in NCAA Division II standings, and first in the League in service aces with 60. In addition, Stumpff has also posted 15 double-doubles on the season and earned a Player of the Week honor.
Harris, a native of Monroe, N.C. posted double figure kills in 14 matches this season, achieving a total of 266 at the end of her first regular season campaign. The freshman middle blocker finished fifth in solo blocks with 17, and her 77 total blocks was good enough for a ninth place finish in the Conference.
The 2013 AVCA Coach of the Year had Wingate ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 for a portion of the 2015 campaign. The Bulldogs are currently No. 2 in the NCAA Southeast Regional Rankings after finishing the season 26-3 overall and 20-2 in the South Atlantic Conference. Collier's Bulldogs won their tenth-straight South Atlantic Conference Title and placed first in the SAC in five categories and two in the top 10 nationally. Wingate has won 89 percent of its games this season to rank No. 5 in Division II. Collier wins the award for the ninth straight season.
Carson-Newman led the Conference with three selections on the First Team All-Conference in Molly Locke, Sara Fairley, and Maddie Borch. Wingate was close behind with two selections as Shelly Stumpff and Abby Saehler represented the Bulldogs on the First Team. Brooke Redmond of Lenoir-Rhyne, Meridith Jones of Queens, and Tusculum's Melissa Mazur rounded out the list of First Team selections.
First Team
Shelly Stumpff, Wingate
Abby Saehler, Wingate
Brooke Redmond, Lenoir-Rhyne
Molly Locke, Carson-Newman
Sara Farley, Carson-Newman
Maddie Borch, Carson-Newman
Meredith Jones, Queens
Melissa Mazur, Tusculum
Second Team
Kiera Holland, Lincoln Memorial
Fatima Gharachorloo, Brevard
Bri Howard, Catawba
Briana Gottberg, Lenoir-Rhyne
Anna Patton, Carson-Newman
Rachel Garnett, Tusculum
Serena Jackson, Anderson
Kimberly Hovey, Wingate
Honorable Mention
Abby Cash, Lincoln Memorial
Priscilla Irizarry, Anderson
Marissa Mitter, Anderson
Oakley Attaway, Wingate
Logan Hayward, Newberry
Elizabeth Bialkowski, Queens
Alex Hopper, Catawba
Aleksandra Vrvilo, Brevard
All-Freshman
Natalie Harris, Carson-Newman
Oakley Attaway, Wingate
Melissa Mazur, Tusculum
Kimberly Hovey, Wingate
Anna Holmquist, Wingate
Danielle Ged, Lincoln Memorial
Player of the Year
Shelly Stumpff, Wingate
Freshman of the Year
Natalie Harris, Carson-Newman
Coach of the Year
Shelton Collier, Wingate
Statistical Champions
Hitting Percentage: Maddie Borch, Carson-Newman (0.339)
Kills Per Set: Shelly Stumpff, Wingate (3.89)
Assists Per Set: Anna Patton, Carson-Newman (10.39)
Blocks Per Set: Bri Howard, Catawba (1.13)
Service Aces Per Set: Shelly Stumpff, Wingate (0.61)
Digs Per Set: Melissa Mazur, Tusculum (6.84)
Team Hitting Percentage: Wingate (0.243)
Team Assists Per Game: Wingate (12.75)
Team Kills Per Game: Wingate (13.82)
Team Winning Percentage: Wingate (0.897)
Team Opponent Hitting Percentage: Wingate (0.114)
Team Blocks Per Game: Queens (2.21)
Team Service Aces Per Game: Queens (1.88)
Team Digs Per Game: Tusculum (19.30)