Volleyball Garners Six All-SSC Selections, Imperiale Named Coach of the Year

ORLANDO, Fla. - Twenty-seven volleyball student-athletes earn All-Sunshine State Conference honors following the 2025 season. Tampa, the SSC Regular Season Champion, boasts seven awards, including Coach of the Year. Voting for the All-SSC awards was conducted among the league's volleyball coaches.

Valeriya Kozlova from Barry is the first SSC volleyball student-athlete to win Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year in the same season. The outside hitter/right side from Moscow, Russia, is the eighth Buccaneer to win Player of the Year¹ and the fourth to win Freshman of the Year². Kozlova finished the season first in points per set (5.93) and second in points (427), kills (367), and kills per set (5.10) against league competition. She was also fourth in attack attempts (829) and fifth in hitting percentage (.331) during conference play. Additionally, Kozlova finished Top-20 in SSC blocks (54), blocks per set (.75), service aces (28), and service aces per set (.39).

SSC Volleyball History: ALL-SSC Teams | Players & Coaches of the Year | Conference Champions | National Champions

Nako Sasaki becomes the first SSC Defensive Player of the Year honoree for Florida Southern's program. During conference play, the libero from Fukushima, Japan, led all players in digs per set (4.86) and was second in digs (360). Sasaki was the match-leader in digs during 70% of Lynn's conference contests.

Grace Reynolds of Palm Beach Atlantic picks up the program's first Setter of the Year honor. The Martinsville, Indiana, product was the SSC leader in assists (841) and was second in  assists per set (10.26) during the conference schedule. Reynolds piloted the Sailfish to a .239 hitting percentage, third highest against SSC opponents, and a league-leading number in kills (1118) and the second most kills per set (13.63). She was the match-leader in assists during 16 of her 20 conference games played.

Tampa's Brian Imperiale is honored as the SSC Coach of the Year in his first year at the helm. Imperiale led the Spartans to a 30th conference championship following an undefeated, 28-win regular season. Imperiale's squad was number one in hitting percentage (.288), kills per set (13.96), assists per set (12.51), digs per set (17.21), opponent hitting percentage (.177), opponent blocks per set (1.21), and opponent service aces (1.08). Tampa has been ranked nationally by the AVCA every week in 2025, topping out at No. 1 for the last six polls.

Taylor Stockman of Nova Southeastern highlights the repeat All-SSC award winners following her fourth consecutive All-SSC award. The 2025 Third Team member was previously named to the Second Team in 2023 and 2024, after Third Team and Freshman of the Year nods in 2022. Tampa's Nathaly Perez and Tess Schrenger, along with Varvara Osychenko of Barry and Isabella Rujano of Embry-Riddle, all capture a third consecutive All-SSC honor. A total of 10 athletes repeat as All-SSC First, Second, or Third Team during their careers, including three former Freshman of the Year winners.

Player of the Year: Valeriya Kozlova, Barry

Defensive Player of the Year: Nako Sasaki, Florida Southern

Setter of the Year: Grace Reynolds, Palm Beach Atlantic

Freshman of the Year: Valeriya Kozlova, Barry

Coach of the Year: Brian Imperiale, Tampa

* = 2025 First Team All-SSC                             ^ = 2024 Second Team All-SSC                        ~ = 2024 Third Team All-SSC

† = 2023 First Team All-SSC                             ‡ = 2023 Second Team All-SSC                         # = 2023 Third Team All-SSC

& = 2022 Third Team All-SSC                           Δ  = Previously named Freshman OTY

¹ Previous BU Players of the Year: Wei Liu (1993), Mickisha Hurley (1995), Cindy Yuan (1996-98), Jade Harper (2000), Frenanda Brino (2003-04), Julia Teixeira (2010), Diana Akopova (2022 & 2024)
² Previous BU Freshmen of the Year: Kristina Filimonova (2016), Varvara Osychenko (2023), Veronika Eremeeva (2024)