Special report on the Florida Gators volleyball team:
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Florida placed five student-athletes on this year’s All-Southeastern Conference Team, with SEC Player of the Year Rhamat Alhassan leading the way.
Alhassan is the 13th Gator to win the league’s top individual honor, and it marks the 19th time in history a Gator earned the award. She is also sixth woman in league history to win the SEC Player of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year awards during their collegiate career. Four of the other five were also Gators (Kelly Murphy, Angie McGinnis, Aury Cruz, Nina Foster).
Head coach Mary Wise, now in her 27th year with the Gators, and Kentucky’s Craig Skinner were named SEC Co-Coaches of the Year. It is the 15th such award of Wise’s career.
Alhassan earned her fourth All-SEC honor, while senior outside hitter Carli Snyder and senior libero Caroline Knop nabbed All-SEC accolades for a second consecutive season. Fifth-year senior right side Shainah Joseph and sophomore middle blocker Rachael Kramer, an SEC All-Freshman selection last season, both earned their first All-SEC plaudits.
A breakdown of each honoree’s accolades are below.
RHAMAT ALHASSAN
· Joins Alex Holston (2013-16), Kelly Murphy (2008-11), Angie McGinnis (2004-07), Aury Cruz (2000-03), Benavia Jenkins (2000-03), and Nicole McCray (1999-2002) as the only four-time All-SEC selections in UF history (does not include All-Freshman Team honors)
· 2014 SEC Freshman of the Year
· Leads the nation in blocks per set (1.80) and ranks 18th in hitting percentage (.401)
· One of three players in the country ranked in the top 20 in both hitting percentage and blocks per set
· Tied for the sixth-highest career hitting percentage (.424) in Division I history
SHAINAH JOSEPH
· Named All-SEC for the first time in her career
· Ranks seventh in the SEC in hitting percentage (.345)
· Posted seven matches of 10-plus kills and two matches of 15-plus points this season
· Two-time SEC Community Service Team honoree (2015, 2016)
CAROLINE KNOP
· Second All-SEC selection in as many seasons as a Gator
· Ranks second in the conference in digs per set (4.73)
· Also ranked second in digs per set among SEC players in conference matches this year (4.65)
· On pace for fourth-highest single-season digs per set average in school history
CARLI SNYDER
· Second consecutive All-SEC selection
· Ranks tied for fourth nationally and leads the SEC in service aces per set (0.54)
· Ranks fourth in the league in points per set (4.27) and seventh in kills per set (3.46)
· On pace to tie Aury Cruz (2002) for the fifth-highest single-season aces per set average in school history
RACHAEL KRAMER
· First All-SEC honor of her career
· Ranks ninth nationally and leads the SEC in hitting percentage (.424)
· Ranks seventh in the SEC in blocks per set (1.18)
· Has 13 matches with double-digit kills and nine matches with five-plus blocks (only had five and six, respectively, last season)
· 2016 SEC All-Freshman Team
2017 ALL-SEC AWARDS | Complete Release
Player of the Year:
Rhamat Alhassan, Florida
Libero of the Year:
Ashley Dusek, Kentucky
Freshman of the Year:
Madison Lilley, Kentucky
Scholar-Athlete of the Year:
Macy Reece, Auburn
Co-Coaches of the Year:
Mary Wise, Florida; Craig Skinner, Kentucky
2017 All-SEC Team
Pilar Victoria
Arkansas
Jesse Earl
Auburn
Alexa Filley
Auburn
Rhamat Alhassan
Florida
Shainah Joseph
Florida
Caroline Knop
Florida
Rachael Kramer
Florida
Carli Snyder
Florida
T’ara Ceasar
Kaz Brown
Georgia
Kentucky
Ashley Dusek
Kentucky
Leah Edmond
Emily Franklin
Madison Lilley
Kentucky
Kentucky
Kentucky
Taylor Bannister
LSU
Kira Larson
Missouri
Alyssa Munlyn
Missouri
Mikayla Shields
South Carolina