The South Atlantic Conference Announces 2021 Volleyball All-Conference and Major Award winners
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Tusculum outside hitter Emiah Burrowes was voted the 2021 South Atlantic Conference Volleyball Player of the Year, while Limestone's right side hitter Josie Curran was named the Conference's Freshman of the Year and Tusculum head coach Danielle Marante was named Coach of the Year, the conference office announced today.
Burrowes, a junior from Wesley Chapel, N.C., and 2019 SAC Freshman of the Year, had another remarkable season for the Pioneers, leading them to a 19-4 overall record and their first ever Co-Regular Season Champions title. She is fifth in the league for kills per set with 3.27 finishing the season with 281 kills overall. Burrowes also tallied 17 service aces, 197 digs, 27 blocks and scored 313 points overall. She was awarded SAC AstroTurf Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week honors two times during the 2021 season.
Curran, a freshman from Westerville, OH., proved to be an outstanding asset to the Limestone Saints offense in her first year of competition. She ended the season with a total of 249 kills for a .267 hitting percentage while also garnering 41 blocks, 3.3 points per set and 48 digs.
Marante led the Pioneers to a Co-Regular Season Champions title while going 19-4 overall and 15-3 in the SAC in the 2021 season. Her team is currently ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Southeast Regional Rankings and finished first in the league for team service aces per set with 2.05. Marante also ranks third in the league for assists per set (11.91), hitting percentage (.211) and points per set (16.1). This is Coach Marante's first time receiving this honor.
Joining Burrowes on the first team was Wingate's Sophie Schaff and Shannon Kasprak, Newberry's Natasha Bannister, Lenoir-Rhyne's Taylor Prall and Rachel Bewick and Anderson's Madison Roy and Regan Duty.
2021 SAC Volleyball All-Conference
First Team
Emiah Burrowes, Tusculum
Shannon Kasprak, Wingate
Natasha Bannister, Newberry
Sophie Schaff, Wingate
Taylor Prall, Lenoir-Rhyne
Madison Roy, Anderson
Regan Duty, Anderson
Rachel Bewick, Lenoir-Rhyne (L)
Second Team
Sarah Goddard, Mars Hill
Julia Wheeler, Carson-Newman
Maggie Young, Wingate
Carli Pigza, Tusculum
Allison Bryant, Catawba
Noelle Knutsen, Anderson
Brooke Farley, Queens
Carly Sosnowski, Tusculum (L)
Third Team
Elise Carmichael, Tusculum
Zoe Dinkins, Newberry
Raeley Matthews, Tusculum
Lindsay Elmore, Queens
Jana Cuk, Mars Hill
Vanessa Blas, Limestone
Jaelyn Grimm, Anderson
Ully Martins, Mars Hill (L)
All-Freshman
Josie Curran, Limestone
Kayla McDuffie, Queens
Jordyn Johnson, Queens
Alleigh Johnson, Queens
Blake Cherry, Carson-Newman
Nikkayla Stewart, Mars Hill
Player of the Year
Emiah Burrowes, Tusculum
Freshman of the Year
Josie Curran, Limestone
Coach of the Year
Danielle Marante, Tusculum
Statistical Champions
Hitting Percentage: Maggie Young, Wingate (.366)
Kills Per Set: Natasha Bannister, Newberry (4.06)
Assists Per Set: Madison Roy, Anderson (11.18)
Blocks Per Set: Sophie Schaff, Wingate (1.29)
Service Aces: Elise Carmichael, Tusculum (59)
Digs Per Set: Ully Martins, Mars Hill (6.28)
Team Hitting Percentage: Anderson (.249)
Team Assists Per Set: Wingate (12.84)
Team Kills Per Set: Wingate (13.90)
Team Winning Percentage: Wingate (.880)
Team Opponent Hitting Percentage: Wingate (.108)
Team Blocks Per Set: Wingate (2.51)
Team Service Aces Per Set: Tusculum (2.05)
Team Digs Per Set: Mars Hill (20.21)
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