Four Falcons Named to PBC All-Conference Teams

AUGUSTA, Ga. – The University of Montevallo volleyball team (23-11) was awarded four spots on the All-Peach Belt Conference Teams. Redshirt-freshman Manyi Ati (Lawrenceville, Ga./Grayson) and junior Anna Garrison (LaVergne, Tenn./LaVergne) were named to the First Team. Ati was also named Freshman of the Year while Garrison was named Co-Setter of the Year. Freshman Taylor Chapman (Killen, Ala./Lexington) and sophomore Virginia Clay (Fort Collins, Colo./Poudre) were named to the Second Team.

After redshirting in 2009, Ati has had a remarkable first campaign for Montevallo to capture the school’s first PBC Freshman of the Year award in any sport. Ati played in all but one set during the season and was second in the PBC in hitting percentage and third in kills per set. A PBC Player of the Week during the season, Ati was tied for second in the league with 0.92 blocks per set and third on the team in aces. Ati had the highest single-game hitting percentage in the conference this season when she hit .727 with 16 kills and no errors in 22 attacks against Stillman on Oct. 30.

Garrison led the Peach Belt and is ranked #10 in the nation with 11.30 assists per set, 1.32 assists more per set than her nearest competitor. After tearing her ACL in January she roared back to start in 31 matches and play 117 sets for the Falcons. In addition to her assists, she is ranked 10th in the PBC in digs and is second on the team in aces. She has 21 double-doubles on the season and went over the 3,000-assist mark for her career.

Chapman ranks fourth in the PBC in kills per game (3.03) and second for Montevallo while Clay ranks third in hitting percentage (.300), fifth in blocks (0.89) and tenth in kills (2.58) in the PBC.

Ati, Garrison, Chapman, Clay and the rest of the Falcons will return to action tonight, Nov. 15 at 5 p.m. as they take on Armstrong Atlantic State University in the semifinals of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament.