ROCK HILL, S.C. (theSAC.com) – Anderson University won two of the South Atlantic Conference's three major volleyball individual awards, as
Emily Campbell was named Player of the Year,
Todd Hay earned Coach of the Year honors, and Tusculum's
Gracie Hibdon was selected as Freshman of the Year, the league announced Tuesday with the release of its 2026 Volleyball All-Conference teams.
Campbell put together an outstanding season for the Trojans, establishing herself as one of the most efficient offensive players in the conference. She leads the SAC with a .432 hitting percentage, totaling 362 kills on 710 attacks while committing just 55 errors. Campbell averages 3.38 kills per set and has also made a significant impact defensively, recording 106 total blocks, including 32 solo blocks. Her 442 points rank second in the league, while her 0.99 blocks per set place her among the conference leaders.
Hay guided Anderson to the SAC regular-season championship with a dominant 21-1 conference record and a 27-3 overall mark. The Trojans finished six games ahead of second-place Tusculum in the conference standings and enter the postseason riding a 13-match winning streak. Anderson has been equally impressive on both sides of the net, leading the SAC in hitting percentage (.283), kills per set (14.05), assists per set (12.97) and points per set (17.63). Defensively, the Trojans have held opponents to a league-low .149 hitting percentage.
Hibdon made an immediate impact in her first season at Tusculum, helping the Pioneers to a second-place finish in the conference standings with a 15-7 SAC record and an 18-8 overall mark. The freshman setter totaled 920 assists, averaging 8.52 assists per set to rank fourth in the conference. Her play helped Tusculum establish itself among the league's top teams throughout the season. In addition to earning Freshman of the Year honors, Hibdon was named to the All-Conference Second Team and the SAC All-Freshman Team.
Anderson led the way with five First Team All-Conference selections. Joining Campbell on the First Team were teammates Ellie Nieporte, Ava Reeves, Maura Kindel and Mikaylah Hedlund. Carson-Newman's Emerson Ahsmuhs and Lincoln Memorial's Kaytlin Johnson rounded out the seven position-player selections, while UVA Wise's Abigail Curtis earned First Team honors at libero.
The Trojans led all SAC institutions with six total All-Conference selections, followed by Carson-Newman and Lincoln Memorial with three each. Tusculum also placed three student-athletes on the All-Conference teams. The league additionally recognized six student-athletes on the 2026 SAC All-Freshman Team.
The complete 2026 SAC Volleyball All-Conference teams and individual award winners are listed below.
2026 SAC Volleyball All-Conference
First Team
Emily Campbell, Anderson
Ellie Nieporte, Anderson
Ava Reeves, Anderson
Emerson Ahsmuhs, Carson-Newman
Maura Kindel, Anderson
Kaytlin Johnson, Lincoln Memorial
Mikaylah Hedlund, Anderson
Abigail Curtis, UVA Wise (L)
Second Team
Averie Dale, Lenoir-Rhyne
Emmaleigh Allen, Lenoir-Rhyne
Gracie Hibdon, Tusculum
Blair Cherry, Carson-Newman
Lillian Edwards, Wingate
Karris Oller, Tusculum
Georgia Dobson, Lincoln Memorial
Jamie Juhnevicz, Anderson (L)
Third Team
Morgan Yoder, Mars Hill
Maddie Hurst, Carson-Newman
Addison McLarty, Tusculum
Grace Woodring, Wingate
Mable James, UVA Wise
Annie Dziczkowski, Carson-Newman
Jazmine Starks, Lincoln Memorial
Riley Hill, Catawba (L)
All-Freshman Team
Gracie Hibdon, Tusculum
Morgan Yoder, Mars Hill
Lillian Edwards, Wingate
Olivia Amos, UVA Wise
Maggie Ayers, Catawba
Skye Williams, UVA Wise
Player of the Year
Emily Campbell, Anderson
Freshman of the Year
Gracie Hibdon, Tusculum
Coach of the Year
Todd Hay, Anderson