MELBOURNE, Fla. - The Sunshine State Conference announces its 2010 to 2019 Volleyball All-Decade honors. Voters named Fifteen student-athletes from seven programs as All-Decade. Player of the Decade and Coach of the Decade accolades went to the University of Tampa's Berkley Whaley and Chris Catanach. All-Decade voting took place among the league's administrators and volleyball coaches.
SSC Volleyball History: ALL-SSC Teams |
Players & Coaches of the Year |
Conference Champions |
National Champions |
AVCA All-Americans
Whaley obtained the title of SSC Volleyball Player of the Decade after an illustrious career for the Spartans. The outside hitter is a two-time National Player of the Year, an NCAA Division II national champion, a five-time First Team All-American, a six-time All-South Region honoree, and a three-time SSC Player of the Year. Whaley was also named the 2014-15 SSC Female Athlete of the Year and is only one of two SSC athletes to be named Player of the Year three times
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Video: Hear from Berkley Whaley about being named Player of the Decade
Voters honor Tampa's Chris Catanach as the SSC Coach of the Decade. From 2010-19, he guided the Spartans program to a 287-55 (81.2%) record and seven conference championships. During the same period, Catanach and the Spartans won the NCAA Division II Volleyball Championships in 2014 and 2018, reached the title game twice more, and the final four a total of five times. He was named SSC Coach of the Year five times, South Region Coach of the Year four times, and AVCA National Coach of the Year twice during the past decade.
The 2010-19 SSC All-Decade honors include eight AVCA First Team All-Americans, seven SSC Player of the Year winners, four national champions, and two SSC Female Athletes of the Year. Additionally, four women earned three All-SSC First Team nods: Lindsay Biggs from Eckerd College and Kristina Filimonova from Barry University, and Danielle Selkridge and Whaley of Tampa.
SSC Volleyball from 2010 to 2019
Over the last 10 years, nine SSC programs accounted for 55% of the South Region bracket, earning a combined 44 NCAA Division II Volleyball Tournament berths. Tampa led the way, representing the league every year, while Florida Southern College gained entry nine times. Saint Leo University was third with seven appearances, followed by Eckerd College (5), Rollins College (4), Barry University (3), Lynn University (3), Palm Beach Atlantic University
2 (2), and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (1). Tampa ended the decade with six South Region titles, while Florida Southern and Saint Leo captured one trophy each. SSC volleyball reached the NCAA Final Four six times and the National Title game five times, with Tampa emerging victorious from the national tournament in 2014 and 2018.
2010-19 SSC Volleyball All-Decade First Team (Listed in alphabetical order by last name)
Lindsay Biggs, Eckerd (OH - 2010-13)
- Arguably the most decorated player in Tritons history, Biggs, is a three-time All-SSC First Team award winner, three-time AVCA First-Team all-region, and a three-time AVCA All-American honoree (2nd, 3rd, and HM). She led Eckerd to three NCAA appearances, including a Sweet 16 berth in 2001. She is second all-time in program kills and sixth in digs.
Kristina Filimonova, Barry (MB/OH - 2016-19)
- Filimonova began her Buccaneer career as the 2016 SSC Freshman of the Year. She followed with three consecutive All-SSC First Team honors from 2017-19. The AVCA honored Filimonova in 2018 and 2019 as All-America Honorable Mention. In Barry program history, she ranks first in sets played, fourth in blocks, and fifth in kills.
Nicole Mattson, Florida Southern (OH - 2015-18)
- One of the most decorated players in Florida Southern history, Mattson, helped pilot the Moccasins to the 2017 National Runner-Up finish. She garnered First Team All-SSC, AVCA First Team All-South Region, AVCA South Region Player of the Year, and AVCA First Team All-America accolades in 2017 and 2018. She was also named SSC Player of the Year and took home South Region All-Tournament team honors in 2018.
Danielle Selkridge, Tampa (MB - 2009-12)
- In 2012, Selkridge earned National Player of the Year distinctions from the AVCA and Daktronics as the Spartans fell a win short of the National Championship. She went on to be named the 2012-13 SSC Female Athlete of the Year. Selkridge snagged AVCA and Daktronics First Team All-American honors in 2011 and 2012, as well as a Second Team AVCA nod in 2010. She was named to All-SSC teams each year of her career, including First Team accolades from 2010-12. During both of the Spartans National Runner Up performances (2010 & 2012), Selkridge earned NCAA Championship All-Tournament team kudos.
Ally “Rohn” Bottenfield, Palm Beach Atlantic (OH/S - 2015-18)
- Bottenfield cemented her place in Sailfish lore by becoming the first in PBA history to be named SSC Player of the Year in any sport. She won the award and a First Team All-SSC nod in 2017; the first year PBA was eligible to win SSC athletic honors. During her PBA time, the Sailfish were 118-18 and reached the NCAA title match in 2015 and returned to the semifinals in 2016. Bottenfield led Division II in triple-doubles in 2015 and 2017 and was named a Second and Third team AVCA All-American in 2017 and 2016, respectively
Audren Rose, Barry (L - 2016-19)
- Rose owns Barry program records in digs for a match and season, along with the career mark in digs per set. She is also second in Buccaneer history in overall digs. In 2018, she earned All-SSC First Team, All-Region First Team, and All-America Third Team honors. League coaches also named Rose All-SSC Second Team in 2019.
Berkley Whaley, Tampa (OH - 2013-15)
- Whaley obtained the title of SSC Volleyball Player of the Decade after an illustrious career for the Spartans. The outside hitter is a two-time National Player of the Year (AVCA in 2014, D2CCA in 2015), an NCAA Division II national champion (2014), a five-time First Team All-American (AVCA three times, D2CCA twice), a six-time All-South Region honoree, and a three-time SSC Player of the Year. Whaley was also named the 2014-15 SSC Female Athlete of the Year and is only one of two SSC athletes to be named Player of the Year three times.
2010-19 SSC Volleyball All-Decade Second Team (Listed in alphabetical order by last name)
Meagan Burke, Tampa (MB - 2011-14)
- A four-year player at UT, Burke was a crucial member of the Spartans' 2014 championship run. She was named a First Team All-American in 2014 by Daktronics after earning Third Team in 2013. The AVCA awarded her Honorable Mention All-American and Second Team All-American in 2013 and 2012, respectively. During her career, Burke received nine All-South Region honors and was named to All-SSC teams every year.
Katie McKiel, Tampa (OH - 2016-19)
- McKiel led the Spartans to the NCAA Division II national title in 2018. It was a year in which she was named First Team All-America by the AVCA, Honorable Menton All-America by the D2CCA, and All-Tournament by the NCAA Championship Committee. The following year McKiel was named SSC Player of the Year and a Second Team All-America selection by the AVCA. McKiel earned six All-South Region and four All-SSC accolades throughout her career.
Olivia Roa, Embry-Riddle (L - 2016-19)
- Roa led the SSC in digs per set in 2017, 2018, and 2019. She was also 10th, 12th, and 16th in the NCAA digs per set, respectively. Along the way, Rose earned two All-SSC First Team honors and a Second Team nod. In 2019, she took home AVCA All-South Region and AVCA All-America Honorable Mention accolades. The D2CCA also bestowed South Region First Team honors upon her in 2018 and 2019.
Ali Skayhan, Florida Southern (S - 2010-14)
- Skayhan had a banner season in 2014. That year she was named AVCA First Team All-America, AVCA First Team All-South Region, First Team All-SSC, NCAA Southern Region All-Tournament, Terrace Hotel Classic MVP, and the South Region Crossover MVP. In 2012, Skayhan earned AVCA Second Team All-America, AVCA First Team All-South Region, First Team All-SSC, and NCAA Southern Region All-Tournament honors.
Julia Teixeira, Barry (OH - 2009-10)
- Teixeira was named the 2010 SSC Player of the Year, First Team All-SSC, First Team AVCA All-South Region, and First Team AVCA All-America. She also earned Second Team All-SSC honors in 2009. Teixeira sits fourth in Barry’s record book for single-season and career kills per set.
Anna Tovo, Florida Southern (OH - 2014-17)
- Tovo climbed the AVCA All-American ladder during her time at FSC. She was named Honorable Mention in 2015, Third Team in 2016, and finally Second Team in 2017. During her senior season in 2017, she was instrumental in the Moccasins’ National Runner-up performance. Additionally, Tovo picked up First Team All-SSC honors in 2016 and 2017, along with Second Team accolades in 2015.
Jessica Wagner, Tampa (MB - 2012-15)
- Wagner's performance for Spartans in the 2014 NCAA tournament was so pivotal that she took home the Championship MVP award while Tampa lifted the national title trophy. Wagner was tabbed as First Team All-American by the AVCA and Daktronics in 2014 and again in 2015. She took home seven All-South region honors in her career along with three SSC awards, including the 2015 SSC Player of the Year trophy.
2010-19 SSC Volleyball All-Decade Honorable Mention
Sonja Udovcic, Lynn (OH - 2017-19)
- Udovcic had a stellar 2019 that resulted in her being named the South Region Player of the Year award First Team All-America by the AVCA. She was also tabbed First Team All-South Region and First Team All-SSC. In 2018, Udovcic won First Team All-SSC and AVCA All-South Region Honorable Mention honors. Heading into next season, she sits only 16 kills away from the most in program history.
1Cindy Yuan of Barry won SSC Player of the Year in 1996, 1997, and 1998
2PBA claimed two regional championships as an SSC provisional member in the midst of seven straight NCAA appearances. The Sailfish gained full membership in 2017.