Two Volleyball Bulldogs Earn Post-Season Conference Honors
--- Sheriden Stangohr lands on First Team while Allie Bettinger named to All-Freshman team ---
Nov. 19, 2009
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ---- Senior middle blocker Sheriden Stangohr and freshman outside hitter Allie Bettinger have received post-season all-conference honors, the Southern Conference office announced Thursday. The post-season awards were voted on by the league’s 12 coaches.
Stangohr was named to the All-SoCon first team while Bettinger landed a spot on the All-Freshman team.
Stangohr’s senior season was no exception to the rest of her career. She became the all-time block assists leader early in the season and has continued to shatter that record. She now sports 417 career block assists, 71 more than the previous record. She reached the 1,000-kill plateau on Oct. 21 against Chattanooga and now ranks the all-time four-year career hitting percentage leader with a .303 average. She leads her team with 3.05 kills per set, a .310 hitting percentage on the season and 1.26 blocks per set.
“No one deserves individual accolades more than Sheriden,” Samford head coach Derek Schroeder said. “It has been said before but no one works harder than her and gets more production out of a small frame. I am proud of Sheriden and her great senior season.”
Bettinger has had a spectacular freshman season. She has constantly led her team in kills with 3.15 per set and ranks third in the conference in that category. She was named the Southern Conference Player of the Month for September. She posted five double-doubles in the month of September, which is over half of the number that she has achieved all year. She’s notched a career high in kills and digs twice.
“Allie is still discovering what it takes to be a college volleyball player on a day in and day out basis,” Schroeder said. “It says a great deal about how talented she is physically to be awarded Player of the Month in September and make the All-Freshman team in a year where there were many great freshmen. Allie's future is very bright.”
South Division winner Furman earned four all-conference team selections, three all-freshman team selections and three individual honors. The Paladins’ setter setter Kelsey Salava was named Player of the Year while middle blocker Carolina Adams earned Freshman of the Year honors. Michelle Young was selected Coach of the Year.
Salava and Adams also earned spots on the first-team, while sophomore teammates Kelly Kirby, a right side hitter/setter, and Alexis Shaffer, a middle blocker, were named to the second team.
Adams was joined on the all-freshman team by outside hitters Chandler Ambrester and Natalie Braun.
UNC Greensboro senior Catherine Hanners was honored as the Libero of the Year and also earned a spot on the all-conference second team. Hanners averaged 4.18 digs per set.
College of Charleston also garnered four all-conference selections. Sophomore middle hitter Elyse Chubb was joined by junior setter Cole Dawley on the first team. Sophomore middle blocker Sarah Havel and junior right side hitter Ginny Phillips were tabbed for the second team.
Georgia Southern was represented on the all-conference first team by sophomore outside hitter Bethany Sanford and freshman setter Kate Van Dyke. Van Dyke also earned a spot on the all-freshman team.
Elon sophomores Caroline Lemke, a middle blocker, and Traci Stewart, a right side hitter, garnered second team honors. The Phoenix was also represented by libero Ali Deatsch on the all-freshman team.
Chattanooga libero Paula Passmore was selected to the all-freshman team.
The Southern Conference Volleyball Tournament begins Saturday at Alley Gymnasium on the campus of Furman University in Greenville, S.C. The Paladins will face Appalachian State in the first match, which is slated for 12 p.m. The second match pits Samford against College of Charleston and is scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. The championship match will be held Sunday at 2 p.m.
All-Conference First Team
Elyse Chubb, College of Charleston (MH, So.)
Cole Dawley, College of Charleston (S, Jr.)
Caroline Adams, Furman (MB, Fr.)
Kelsey Salava, Furman (S, Sr.)
Bethany Sanford, Georgia Southern (OH, So.)
Kate Van Dyke, Georgia Southern (S, Fr.)
Sheriden Stangohr, Samford (MB, Sr.)
All-Conference Second Team
Sarah Havel, College of Charleston (MB, So.)
Ginny Phillips, College of Charleston (RS, Jr.)
Caroline Lemke, Elon (MB, So.)
Traci Stewart, Elon (RS, So.)
Kelly Kirby, Furman (RS/S, So.)
Alexis Shaffer, Furman (MB, So.)
Catherine Hanners, UNC Greensboro (L/OH, Sr.)
All-Freshman Team
Ali Deatsch, Elon (L)
Caroline Adams, Furman (MB)
Chandler Ambrester, Furman (OH)
Natalie Braun, Furman (OH)
Kate Van Dyke, Georgia Southern (S)
Allie Bettinger, Samford (OH)
Paula Passmore, Chattanooga (L)
Freshman of the Year
Caroline Adams, Furman
Player of the Year
Kelsey Salava, Furman
Libero of the Year
Catherine Hanners, UNC Greensboro
Coach of the Year
Michelle Young, Furman
*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***
