Stelogeannis Highlights All-Sunshine State Conference Honors

MELBOURNE, Fla. – Concluding regular season play, the No. 23 University of Tampa volleyball team garnered four All-Sunshine State Conference nods including the SSC Player of the Year. Twenty-one student-athletes are recognized as All-SSC for the 2016 season. Voting for the team was conducted among the league's volleyball coaches.

Senior Allee Stelogeannis was named SSC Player of the Year and an All-SSC First Team selection while sophomore Gen Beaumier earned All-SSC honorable mention. Freshmen Taylor Fosler and Katie McKiel were named to the All-SSC Newcomer Team.

Allee Stelogeannis from the UT becomes the 10th¹ Spartan to be named Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year. The senior from Ocala, Florida brings Tampa the award for the sixth consecutive season². The outside hitter led the team to a 12-4 finish in SSC play and 22-8 overall during the regular season with 457 kills, averaging 4.08 kills per set. Defensivley, Stelogeannis ranked second on the team with 390 digs and ranks first in the SSC among athletes that were not liberos.

Gen Beaumier earned an honorable mention as Tampa's multi-tool player. The right side hitter totaled 191 kills at a respectable .258 attack percentage, adding 111 digs, 105 assists, 41 blocks and 26 service aces as one of the most versatile student-athletes in the league.

Taylor Fosler was named to the All-SSC Newcomer team for her solid freshman campaign. The middle blocker totaled 152 kills at a .309 attack percentage, leading the squad with 81 total blocks in just her first collegiate season.

Katie McKiel also earned All-SSC Newcomer team honors as the right side hitter was second on the team with 268 kills in her premier year of action. The freshman posted 85 digs and 34 blocks to earn a spot on the newcomer squad.

Saint Leo University's Sam Cibrone has been named Coach of the Year by SSC coaches. The honor is the second consecutive for Cibrone, third overall³. The Lions' skipper becomes just the fourth SSC coach to win the honor three or more times.

Barry University boasts Newcomer of the Year and Freshman of the Year accolades. Junior outside hitter Jaeda Allen has been named Newcomer of the Year, while middle blocker Kristina Filimonova earns Freshman of the Year accolades. Allen becomes the first Buccaneer to win Newcomer of the Year honors since the award was established in 2011. Filimonova breaks a 20-year drought for Barry in the Freshman of the Year category⁴.

Anna Tovo (Florida Southern College) and Jamee Townsend (Saint Leo) highlight the repeat All-SSC winners this season. Both Tovo and Townsend move up to the first team after second team honors a year ago. JaQuayla Baker (Eckerd College) and Hope Lemon (Saint Leo) make the jump from 2015 honorable mention to the first team in 2016. Baker was also a 2015 newcomer team⁵ selection. Katie Pyles (Nova Southeastern University) repeats as a second team selection from 2015, while teammate Denvyr Tyler-Palmer moves up to second team from honorable mention last season.

Player of the Year: Allee Stelogeannis, Tampa

Freshman of the Year:  Kristina Filimonova, Barry

Newcomer of the Year: Jaeda Allen, Barry

Coach of the Year: Sam Cibrone, Saint Leo

^ = 2015 Second Team
* = 2015 Newcomer Team
+ = 2015 Honorable Mention

~ = 2014 Newcomer Team

# = 2013 Newcomer Team

¹Ten Tampa athletes have been named Player of the Year a combined 14 times, led by Berkley Whaley (2013, 2014, 2015).

²Whaley and Jessica Wagner (2015), Whaley (2013-14), Danielle Selkridge (2011-12).

³Cibrone also won Coach of the Year in 2009 and 2015.
⁴Elvira Vakhidova (1994) and Sonia Gubaidulina (1995) of Barry won the first two SSC Freshman of the Year Awards.

⁵Seven of the 14 first and second team honorees have been named to the All-SSC Newcomer Team during their careers.