Berkley Whaley Earns Third Straight South Region Player of the Year Award

FLORENCE, Ala. – On the eve of the 2015 NCAA Division II South Regional opener, the University of Tampa volleyball team had three student-athletes on the 2015 D2CCA All-South Region Volleyball Team.

Berkley Whaley was named the D2CCA South Region Player of the Year, marking the third consecutive year Whaley has received the region's top honor (previously Daktronics).

Teammate and Sunshine State Conference Co-Player of the Year, Jessica Wagner, joined Whaley on the first team. Classmate Marissa Lisenbee found a spot on the second team. Whaley, a senior outside hitter from St. Petersburg, Fla., leads all Spartans with 428 kills and 463.5 points. While hitting .300, Whaley also has 12 service aces, 38 total blocks and 337 digs. The 2014 National Player of the Year is also a three-time SSC Player of the Year who has amassed 1,305 kills and 913 digs in her UT career.

Wagner, a senior middle blocker from Cape Coral, Fla., has also been named to her third straight all-South Region team. The Most Outstanding Player of last season's NCAA National Championships leads UT and the SSC with a .419 hitting percentage. She has also notched a team-leading 121 total blocks as a senior.

Lisenbee, a senior right-side hitter from Seminole, Fla., is another member of the prolific UT front line. She ranks behind Whaley with 381 kills and also has 84 total blocks. This marks the third all-region selection for Lisenbee, who was a first-team all-region selection by the AVCA in 2015.

Voting is conducted by the region's sports information directors. First team selections will be eligible for the D2CCA All-America teams, which will be released on Dec. 9.

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