AUGUSTA, GA – The Peach Belt Conference has announced the spring 2021 Volleyball All-Conference team. USC Aiken’s Alie Smith was named the Player of the Year with teammate Kari Mercer the Libero/Defensive Specialist of the Year. Lander’s Christina Aguayo was named the Freshman of the Year, Flagler’s Kennedy Muff the Setter of the Year and UNC Pembroke’s Ellen McGill the Coach of the Year. UNCP’s Elly Hicks was also named the winner of the Elite 16 Award presented by EAB.

Player of the Year – Alie Smith, USC Aiken

• A senior outside hitter from St. Johns, Fla.
• Led the Peach Belt in kills and kills per set, with over 100 more kills than any other player in the PBC and averaging more than 2.00 kills per set over any other player
• Ranked second in NCAA Division II in kills per set
• Had five matches this spring with 20 or more kills and two with 30 or more; her 31 kills against Francis Marion on March 9 is the most in a single match in the PBC this season and tied for 14th in PBC history
• Has 1,264 career kills which is ninth on the PBC all-time list (modern era)
• Becomes the seventh player in PBC history to be named All-Conference four times and is the seventh Pacer over nine seasons to be named the Player of the Year

Libero/Defensive Specialist of the Year – Kari Mercer, USC Aiken

• A sophomore from Hilliard, Ohio
• Led the Peach Belt in digs and digs per set and is currently ranked 10th in NCAA Division II in digs per set
• Had nine games of 20 or more digs including 39 against Lander on March 23 which is the most in a single match in the PBC and tied for seventh in NCAA Division II
• Also had 61 assists and 15 aces on the season
• Keeps the Specialist of the Year award at USC Aiken for the sixth time in the 12-year history of the honor, becoming the fourth different Pacer to earn the title

Setter of the Year – Kennedy Muff, Flagler

• A sophomore from Bristol, Wisc.
• Led the PBC in total assists and is second in assists per set; currently ranked 10th in NCAA Division II in total assists
• Had 40 or more assists in a match three times including two matches with 45 assists
• The 2019 PBC Freshman of the Year, she guided Flagler to the best team hitting percentage in the Peach Belt
• Added 102 kills with a .299 hitting percentage, 154 digs (2.29/set), 28 blocks and 18 aces this season
• Becomes the third Saint to be named the PBC Setter of the Year, the first since Tara Savisky in 2015

Freshman of the Year - Christina Aguayo, Lander

• An outside hitter from Las Cruces, N.M.
• Played in every set for the Bearcats in her first collegiate season, averaging 2.94 kills and 2.87 digs per set
• Ranked second in the PBC in kills per set and fourth in total kills; also fifth in the league in points per set
• Had nine matches of double-digit kills, nine of double-digit digs and six double-doubles on the season
• Set career-highs with 19 kills and 20 digs on March 13 against Georgia College
• Is the second Bearcat to be named the Freshman of the Year in the last three seasons and fourth overall

Elite 16 Award presented by EAB – Elly Hicks, UNC Pembroke

• A senior fro Trinity, N.C. with the highest cumulative GPA of any student-athlete participating in the volleyball championship
• Named to the PBC Team of Academic Distinction and has twice been named to the PBC Presidential Honor Roll, including a Gold Team selection in 2019
• Carries a 3.885 GPA with a major in elementary education and is a member of the Student Council and Beta Club
• Played in 14 of 15 matches on the court with 60 kills, 45 digs and 25 blocks
• Becomes the first Brave to win the Elite 16 for volleyball and the 10th UNCP student-athlete overall to claim the honor

• Currently in her sixth season at UNC Pembroke
• Guided the Braves to their first appearance in the PBC Tournament semifinals since 2011 wth seven conference wins in an abbreviated season, the most the team has had in 10 years
• UNCP led the Peach Belt and is ranked sixth in NCAA Division II in blocks; the Braves were also among the league's top five in hitting percentage, opponent hitting percentage, kills and digs
• Becomes the second UNCP volleyball Coach of the Year, the first since Dawn Langley in 1993

The spring 2021 All-Conference team is below as selected by the league’s head coaches. Please note that the second-team was expanded to eight players due to a tie in the voting.

Peach Belt Conference Volleyball
Spring 2021 All-Conference Team

First Team
Chloe Allen, Augusta
Logan Garcia, Flagler
Rebekah Machovec, Flagler
Kylie Martin, Augusta
Kennedy Muff, Flagler
Alie Smith, USC Aiken
Brianna Warren, UNC Pembroke

Second Team
Christina Aguayo, Lander
Libby Bochniak, Georgia College
Emma Boughner, Georgia College
Sydney Bresee, USC Aiken
Caroline Foster, USC Aiken
Kari Mercer, USC Aiken
Shannon Skryd, UNC Pembroke
Iyanla Thigpen, Francis Marion

Elite 16 Award presented by EAB
Elly Hicks, UNC Pembroke

Freshman of the Year
Christina Aguayo, Lander

Libero/Defensive Specialist of the Year
Kari Mercer, USC Aiken

Setter of the Year
Kennedy Muff, Flagler

Player of the Year
Alie Smith, USC Aiken

Coach of the Year
Ellen McGill, UNC Pembroke