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Volleyball All-Conference Teams and Awards Announced
The Citadel’s Ali Ruffin tabbed Player of the Year
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Citadel’s Ali Ruffin was named the Southern Conference Volleyball Player of the Year for the 2023 season. The Citadel’s Dave Zelenock was named coach of the year and Bulldog senior Jaelynn Elgert was selected as libero of the year, while teammate Belle Hogan was named setter of the year. Samford outside hitter Kaleigh Meritt earned the Rayna Taylor Award, given annually to the league’s freshman of the year.
The league coaches voted on a pair of all-conference teams, an all-freshman team and the five individual awards. They were not allowed to vote for themselves or their own players. Each individual winner for The Citadel represents the first winner in program history in the category.
Ruffin claims the Player of the Year award after leading The Citadel to a 14-2 mark in conference play en route to the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Southern Conference Volleyball Championship. The Greenville, North Carolina, native leads the conference in kills (496), points (560) and kills per set (4.59). Ruffin is fifth in the NCAA in kills and points and ninth in kills per set. The junior won SoCon Offensive Player of the Month in September and October and was named SoCon Player of the Week five times this season.
Zelenock earned coach of the year honors after leading the Bulldogs to a 26-2 overall record, with the team winning its first 23 matches of the season. Zelenock, in his sixth season as The Citadel’s head coach, has guided the team to the program’s first outright regular-season crown.
Elgert averaged 5.02 digs per set for The Citadel this season. The native of Peoria, Arizona, is second in the conference in total digs (547). Elgert received SoCon Defensive Player of the Week back on Aug. 28 and is one of two players in the league that averages over five digs per set.
Hogan is the second player in conference history to be awarded SoCon Setter of the Year, the first was ETSU’s Caroline Dykes last season. Hogan averages 10.76 assists per set and has 1,174 total assists, both of which lead the SoCon. Hogan’s assist total is second in the NCAA.
Meritt earned Samford’s fourth Freshman of the Year honor. The Evansville, Indiana, native finished the year with 351 kills, which is fifth in the SoCon.
The Citadel led the way with six postseason all-conference or all-freshman selections followed by Furman with four. Mercer and Samford each had three selections, while Chattanooga and Wofford had two apiece. Western Carolina had one selection.
Hogan and Ruffin each made the first team, with Ruffin receiving the designation for the second straight season. A pair of Mercer Bears, middle blocker Skyler Bumpers and outside hitter Kylee Quigley, made the first team. Bumpers led the conference in hitting percentage (.371) and Quigley led the conference in aces per set (0.45).
Outside hitter Gracie Lynn Butler joined Meritt in representing Samford on the first team. Butler finished the season second in the league in kills per set (4.07). Wofford middle blocker Sarah Barham rounded out the first team. Barham leads the SoCon in blocks (123) and blocks per set (1.24).
The second team is highlighted by three players from The Citadel as Elgert was joined on the second team by middle blockers Maddy Cardenas and Gina DeLancey. Cardenas (.365) and DeLancey (.304) are ranked second and sixth, respectively, in the conference in hitting percentage.
Chattanooga libero Paige Galentine and outside hitter Morgan Romano represented the Mocs on the second team. Galentine leads the SoCon in digs (582), while Romano is third in kills per set (3.72). Furman outside hitter Mary Beth Headley and Wofford middle blocker Millie Loehr complete the second team. Headley is in the top 10 in three categories in the SoCon and Loehr finished the season with 100 total blocks, which is second in the SoCon.
Along with Meritt, the all-freshman team includes The Citadel’s Angelina Sayles, Furman’s Izzy Castelloe, Emily Navarro and Lindsay Walch, Mercer’s Aliyah Waldon and Western Carolina’s Logan Carr.
After a first-round game on Tuesday saw No. 8 ETSU down No. 9 UNCG, 3-1, The Southern Conference Volleyball Championship continues Friday, Nov. 17, with four quarterfinal matches. Saturday features a pair of semifinal matches, with the championship set for Sunday, Nov. 19, at 4 p.m. All seven matches will be held in Wofford’s Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium and all will be broadcast on ESPN+.
2023 All-Southern Conference Volleyball Teams and Awards
Player of the Year – Ali Ruffin, The Citadel, Jr., OH
Rayna Taylor Freshman of the Year – Kaleigh Meritt, Samford, OH
Libero of the Year – Jaelynn Elgert, The Citadel, Sr.
Setter of the Year – Belle Hogan, The Citadel, Jr.
Coach of the Year – Dave Zelenock, The Citadel
All-SoCon First Team
Belle Hogan, The Citadel, Jr., S
Ali Ruffin, The Citadel, Jr., OH
Skyler Bumpers, Mercer, Jr., MB
Kylee Quigley, Mercer, Gr., OH
Gracie Lynn Butler, Samford, Jr., OH
Kaleigh Meritt, Samford, R-Fr., OH
Sarah Barham, Wofford, Sr., MB
All-SoCon Second Team
Maddy Cardenas, The Citadel, Gr., MB
Gina DeLancey, The Citadel, Gr., MB
Jaelynn Elgert, The Citadel, Sr., LIB
Mary Beth Headley, Furman, Sr., OH
Paige Gallentine, Chattanooga, Jr., LIB
Morgan Romano, Chattanooga, Gr., OH
Millie Loehr, Wofford, Sr., MB
All-Freshman Team
Angelina Sayles, The Citadel, OH
Izzy Castelloe, Furman, MB
Emily Navarro, Furman, S
Lindsay Walch, Furman, RS
Aliyah Waldon, Mercer, OH
Kaleigh Meritt, Samford, OH
Logan Carr, Western Carolina, MB
The league coaches voted on a pair of all-conference teams, an all-freshman team and the five individual awards. They were not allowed to vote for themselves or their own players. Each individual winner for The Citadel represents the first winner in program history in the category.
Ruffin claims the Player of the Year award after leading The Citadel to a 14-2 mark in conference play en route to the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Southern Conference Volleyball Championship. The Greenville, North Carolina, native leads the conference in kills (496), points (560) and kills per set (4.59). Ruffin is fifth in the NCAA in kills and points and ninth in kills per set. The junior won SoCon Offensive Player of the Month in September and October and was named SoCon Player of the Week five times this season.
Zelenock earned coach of the year honors after leading the Bulldogs to a 26-2 overall record, with the team winning its first 23 matches of the season. Zelenock, in his sixth season as The Citadel’s head coach, has guided the team to the program’s first outright regular-season crown.
Elgert averaged 5.02 digs per set for The Citadel this season. The native of Peoria, Arizona, is second in the conference in total digs (547). Elgert received SoCon Defensive Player of the Week back on Aug. 28 and is one of two players in the league that averages over five digs per set.
Hogan is the second player in conference history to be awarded SoCon Setter of the Year, the first was ETSU’s Caroline Dykes last season. Hogan averages 10.76 assists per set and has 1,174 total assists, both of which lead the SoCon. Hogan’s assist total is second in the NCAA.
Meritt earned Samford’s fourth Freshman of the Year honor. The Evansville, Indiana, native finished the year with 351 kills, which is fifth in the SoCon.
The Citadel led the way with six postseason all-conference or all-freshman selections followed by Furman with four. Mercer and Samford each had three selections, while Chattanooga and Wofford had two apiece. Western Carolina had one selection.
Hogan and Ruffin each made the first team, with Ruffin receiving the designation for the second straight season. A pair of Mercer Bears, middle blocker Skyler Bumpers and outside hitter Kylee Quigley, made the first team. Bumpers led the conference in hitting percentage (.371) and Quigley led the conference in aces per set (0.45).
Outside hitter Gracie Lynn Butler joined Meritt in representing Samford on the first team. Butler finished the season second in the league in kills per set (4.07). Wofford middle blocker Sarah Barham rounded out the first team. Barham leads the SoCon in blocks (123) and blocks per set (1.24).
The second team is highlighted by three players from The Citadel as Elgert was joined on the second team by middle blockers Maddy Cardenas and Gina DeLancey. Cardenas (.365) and DeLancey (.304) are ranked second and sixth, respectively, in the conference in hitting percentage.
Chattanooga libero Paige Galentine and outside hitter Morgan Romano represented the Mocs on the second team. Galentine leads the SoCon in digs (582), while Romano is third in kills per set (3.72). Furman outside hitter Mary Beth Headley and Wofford middle blocker Millie Loehr complete the second team. Headley is in the top 10 in three categories in the SoCon and Loehr finished the season with 100 total blocks, which is second in the SoCon.
Along with Meritt, the all-freshman team includes The Citadel’s Angelina Sayles, Furman’s Izzy Castelloe, Emily Navarro and Lindsay Walch, Mercer’s Aliyah Waldon and Western Carolina’s Logan Carr.
After a first-round game on Tuesday saw No. 8 ETSU down No. 9 UNCG, 3-1, The Southern Conference Volleyball Championship continues Friday, Nov. 17, with four quarterfinal matches. Saturday features a pair of semifinal matches, with the championship set for Sunday, Nov. 19, at 4 p.m. All seven matches will be held in Wofford’s Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium and all will be broadcast on ESPN+.
2023 All-Southern Conference Volleyball Teams and Awards
Player of the Year – Ali Ruffin, The Citadel, Jr., OH
Rayna Taylor Freshman of the Year – Kaleigh Meritt, Samford, OH
Libero of the Year – Jaelynn Elgert, The Citadel, Sr.
Setter of the Year – Belle Hogan, The Citadel, Jr.
Coach of the Year – Dave Zelenock, The Citadel
All-SoCon First Team
Belle Hogan, The Citadel, Jr., S
Ali Ruffin, The Citadel, Jr., OH
Skyler Bumpers, Mercer, Jr., MB
Kylee Quigley, Mercer, Gr., OH
Gracie Lynn Butler, Samford, Jr., OH
Kaleigh Meritt, Samford, R-Fr., OH
Sarah Barham, Wofford, Sr., MB
All-SoCon Second Team
Maddy Cardenas, The Citadel, Gr., MB
Gina DeLancey, The Citadel, Gr., MB
Jaelynn Elgert, The Citadel, Sr., LIB
Mary Beth Headley, Furman, Sr., OH
Paige Gallentine, Chattanooga, Jr., LIB
Morgan Romano, Chattanooga, Gr., OH
Millie Loehr, Wofford, Sr., MB
All-Freshman Team
Angelina Sayles, The Citadel, OH
Izzy Castelloe, Furman, MB
Emily Navarro, Furman, S
Lindsay Walch, Furman, RS
Aliyah Waldon, Mercer, OH
Kaleigh Meritt, Samford, OH
Logan Carr, Western Carolina, MB