HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – On the eve of the 2023 Great American Conference Volleyball Championships, the league announced its superlative awards, released the All-GAC teams and named its Conway Regional Health System Scholar Athletes.
The coaches voted Southeastern Oklahoma State’s D’Nari Mills as Player of the Year, Oklahoma Baptist’s Maci Langford as Defensive Player of the Year, Ouachita Baptist’s Courtney Hanson as Setter of the Year, Northwestern Oklahoma State’s Erika Asencio-Soriano as Newcomer of the Year, Southwestern Oklahoma State’s Jada Permenter as Freshman of the Year and Southern Arkansas’ Alli O’Banion as Coach of the Year. Oklahoma Baptist’s Laney Draper and Avery Hellmuth garnered the Elite Scholar Athlete award - Presented by Conway Regional Health System Scholar Athletes. Both own 4.00 grade-point averages - Draper in Biology and Hellmuth in Social Sciences Secondary Education.
2023 GREAT AMERICAN CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL AWARDS?
D’Nari Mills became the first Savage Storm player tabbed Player of the Year since Lunden Azuara won in the league’s inaugural year of 2011. Mills leads the league and places inside the top 10 nationally in kills per set, 4.74, and points per set, 5.16. Her 531 kills lead all of Division II. Langford repeated as Defensive Player of the Year, the third multiple-time Defensive Player of the Year in league history. She leads the league in digs per set at 4.87. Hanson matched the feat achieved by Stormi Leonard as the only Tigers voted Setter of the Year. She leads the league in assists, averaging 9.48 per set.
Erika Asencio-Soriano became the second-straight Ranger voted Newcomer of the Year equaling the feat of teammate Cameron Lobb. She ranked third in both kills per set, 3.66, and points per set, 4.01. Permenter joined former Bulldog Carly Zak and teammate Maicee Morgan as Bulldogs acclaimed as the GAC’s top freshman. She placed fifth in the league in digs per set. O’Banion, a three-time All-GAC selection as a player, collected the first Coach of the Year accolade of her career. She guided the Muleriders to a nine-win improvement from 2022, and their best seeding at the GAC Championships, fifth, since 2015.
Mills, Langford, Hanson and Asencio-Soriano added spots on the All-GAC First Team. Langford’s teammate, Jill Leslie, gave the Bison two First-Team honorees. Leslie ranked second in attack percentage, .340, while averaging 2.60 kills, 0.85 blocks and 3.32 points per set. East Central’s Emma Strickland, Southern Nazarene’s Sunny Batschelett and Southwestern Oklahoma State’s Lacy Mott all made the First-Team for the second-straight year. Strickland averaged 3.88 kills and 4.25 points per set. Both place second in the league to Mills. Batschelett finished her season ranked in the top seven in attack percentage, kills per set and points per set. Mott averaged 3.39 kills and 3.51 digs per set as she tallied 15 double-doubles.
The All-GAC Second Team consisted of Harding’s Skyler McKinnon and Emma Winiger, East Central’s Odalys Gonzalez, Henderson State’s Christiane Uzoh, Oklahoma Baptist’s D’Erricka Frierson, Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Ruthie Forson, SAU’s Kayte Delong and Southwestern Oklahoma State’s Zoey Sparks.
Permenter and Hellmuth headlined the All-GAC Honorable Mention Team. Four from Ouachita Baptist - Emily Adams, Riley Braziel, Leah Gardner and Kayla Steinmeyer made the team as did Henderson State’s Larkin Luke, Violeta Mendoza Quintana and Trinity Sharp; Southern Arkansas’ Lauryn Moultrie and Morgan Schuster and Southern Nazarene’s Whitney Bowie.
A total of 18 student-athletes earned the Distinguished Scholar Athlete Award - Presented by Conway Regional Health System - in Southern Arkansas’ Delong, Landry Rogers, Schuster, Ava Tanner and Carlin Whaley; Harding’s Delaney Garner, Ashley Lamkin and Winiger; Henderson State’s Dani Dagley, Carson Edwards and Jacey Tupper; SWOSU’s Lauren DeSantiago, Keana Holloway and Maicee Morgan, Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Forson and Peyton Kriegel, East Central’s Strickland and Ouachita Baptist’s Kayla Steinmeyer.