MIAMI, Fla. | The Sun Conference announced its award winners for the 2022 volleyball season.

Florida Memorial outside hitter Caroline Souza was named the Sun Conference Player of the Year. A First-Team All-Conference selection in 2022, Souza is an all-around utility player who joined the Sun Conference last Spring. The Parana City, Brazil native leads the conference in kills and points, and service aces while placing seventh in conference kill percentage and eighth conference digs.

St. Thomas' Tayla Barnes was named the Sun Conference Freshman of the Year and earned a spot on the First-Team All-Conference in 2022. The middle blocker from Mableton, Ga. is third in conference action in hitting percentage and fourth in blocks (second in solo blocks). Barnes led her team to its second-straight conference regular season title.

Keiser's Hannah Heide was named the Sun Conference Setter of the Year. The sophomore played in 47 conference sets and totaled 467 assists for a 9.94 average per set to lead the conference. From Jupiter, Fla, Heide is the setter for the team that totals the most kills, most kills per set and second highest hitting percentage. Helping the Seahawks to a No. 3 seed in this year's SUN Tournament, Heide was named the Sun Conference Setter of the Week six times and a First-Team All-Conference honoree in 2022.
 
St. Thomas sophomore Bianca Grassi was named the Sun Conference Libero of the Year for the second consecutive year. Grassi was named a First-Team All-Sun Conference honoree in 2021 and 2022. The native of Livorno, Italy, led the conference in digs (296) and digs per set (5.58) in conference action. She is currently 14th in the NAIA for digs per set.
 
For the second straight year, St. Thomas Head Coach Whitney Battoe was named the Sun Conference Coach of the Year. Battoe guided the Bobcats to a 12-2 mark in Sun Conference play and the league's regular season title (the second in as many years). In her third year with the Bobcats, Battoe led STU to a 17-5 overall record, including a 9-1 mark at home.
 
Southeastern setter/right side Angelina Vaccaro was named the Sun Conference Champion of Character for the second year in a row. Vaccaro has continued to stay active in her church's Sunday school program, along with working in the office of the church when her time allows. The sophomore has served on multiple mission trips going to both New Mexico and Quito, Ecuador. She volunteers with FCA summer camp and helped lead an FCA huddle at Jensen Beach High School. She has helped lead and be involved in different outreach projects, such as collecting shoes for children in need and sending supplies to the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian. The Stuart, Fla. native is the historian for HoSA (health occupation students of America) and participated in multiple outreach programs through the pandemic. At SEU, Vaccaro is involved in Faith on Fire which is an athlete-led chapel and worship series for all the athletes on campus and is also a volunteer in the free health clinic on campus. Each summer, she works as a CNA for chronically ill and disabled infants to 21-year-olds. She volunteers with a local youth group at ALL Saints Episcopal Church in Lakeland and is also in the process of starting a mentorship for sixth-grade girls in the community.

2022 Sun Conference Volleyball Award Winners
 
Player of the Year
Caroline Souza (SR), OH, Florida Memorial



























Freshman of the Year
Tayla Barnes (FR), MB, St. Thomas 
 
Setter of the Year
Hannah Heide (SO), S, Keiser
 
Libero of the Year
Bianca Grassi (SO) L, St. Thomas

Coach of the Year
Whitney Battoe, St. Thomas
 
Champion of Character
Angelina Vaccaro (SO), S/RS, Southeastern


 






















2022 Sun Conference Women's Volleyball All-Conference

First Team
Caroline Souza (SR), OH, Florida Memorial
Cabriella Bouterse (FY), OH, Ave Maria
Hannah Heide (SO), S, Keiser
Amanda Allende (SR), OH/L, St. Thomas
Bianca Grassi (SO), L, St. Thomas
Madelyn Haut (SR), MB, Ave Maria
Cameron Estep (FR), OH/DS, Keiser
Paula Perez Rosales (FR), OH, Coastal Georgia
Abigail Costlow (SO), MB, Ave Maria
Lily Witkowski (SR), S, Ave Maria
Holly Kaczmarek (SO), DS, Southeastern
Tayla Barnes (FR), MB, St. Thomas
Victoria Schein (SR), L, Ave Maria
Emilia Harding (SO), RS/MB, Southeastern

Second Team
Cassie Cox (SR), MB, Keiser
Alexandra MacAskill (SR), RS, St. Thomas
Rebecca Brown (JR), S, Coastal Georgia
Grace Petty (SO), OH/RS, Southeastern
Teodora Ranitovic (SR), MB, Webber International
Erika Magin (SO), DS/L, Keiser
Katie Grose (FR), S, Ave Maria
Isadora Tavares (JR), S, St. Thomas
 
 

ABOUT THE SUN CONFERENCE
Now entering its 33rd year, The Sun Conference, a 501c3 organization, continues to be one of the most successful intercollegiate athletic conferences in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Under the guidance of Commissioner Dustin Wilke, the league sponsors championships in 20 NAIA sports: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Football, Flag Football, Men's and Women's Golf, Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field, Women's Lacrosse, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field and Women's Volleyball. Learn more at thesunconference.com  
 

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