Tusculum placed a league-best four players on the All-Conference squad, including three members on the First Team. Caitlyn Dean, Alyssa Raterman and Sarmiento earned All-SAC First Team honors, while Sam Underwood garnered Second Team recognition.
Sarmiento, a 5-11 rookie from Dayton, Ohio, becomes the first player in program history to earn SAC Freshman of the Year honors. Sarmiento leads the league in assists, averaging 10.37 per set, which is 28th in the nation (NCAA Division II). Her assist average is currently the fourth highest in school history and she was named SAC Specialist of the Week three times this season.
Robinson, who is in his third season directing the Tusculum program, shares SAC Coach of the Year honors with Wingate skipper Shelton Collier. Robinson has guided the Pioneers to a 23-5 record and a school SAC record 16-2 to finish second place in the league. Tusculum is enjoying its best volleyball season since becoming a Division II member in 1998. Robinson has posted a 63-29 record in his three years at Tusculum where he is already third in school history in wins and fourth in won-loss percentage (.685).
Dean, a 5-5 freshman from Fort Wayne, Ind., was named the All-SAC First Team libero. The Northrop High School graduate currently leads the nation in digs per set, averaging a school and SAC record 7.02 per frame. Her 723 digs are already a new school record, surpassing the previous mark of 577 set by former All-SAC standout Alexis Rowles in 2005. Dean has been named SAC Specialist of the Week on two occasions this year.
Raterman rounds out the All-SAC First Team selections for the Pioneers. The 6-1 Urbana, Ohio sophomore leads the team with her .352 hitting percentage, which is 37th in the nation and second highest in school history. The Urbana High School graduate is averaging 2.08 kills and 0.45 blocks per set for Tusculum. She was named SAC Player of Week once this season.
Underwood, a 6-1 outside hitter from Muncie, Ind., is averaging 2.66 kills, 2.70 digs and 0.28 blocks per set. Underwood (Cowan HS) is tied for the team-lead in double-doubles with Sarmiento with 11 matches each. She was named to the SAC All-Freshman Team last year.
Tusculum’s four All-SAC selections are the most ever posted by a Pioneer squad in a season, surpassing the three Second Team picks during the 2000 campaign. Both Dean and Sarmiento were also named to the 2010 SAC All-Freshman Team.
Tusculum was also the SAC Team Statistical Champion for digs per set, averaging 19.66 per frame, which is also second in the nation.
The conference awards will be presented Friday after the second of four quarterfinal matches during the opening day of the Food Lion SAC Volleyball Tournament. The tournament will be played at Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C. Tusculum is the No. 2 seed in the tournament and will face seventh-seeded Mars Hill at 5 p.m. in Friday’s quarterfinal at Catawba’s Goodman Gym.
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