Beach Volleyball All-Conference and Major Award Winners Announced

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Erskine's Abigal Platt has been named the 2026 South Atlantic Conference Carolinas Beach Volleyball Player of the Year, the league office announced Thursday. Carson-Newman's duo of Emerson Ahsmuhs and Ava Potts were voted Pair of the Year, while Tusculum's Sofia Vega Barrantes earned Freshman of the Year honors. For the second straight season, Carson-Newman head coach Cat Collins was named Coach of the Year.

Platt, a senior from Prescott Valley, Ariz., helped lead her squad to a second-place finish in the conference standings and was a First Team All-Conference selection in each of the past two seasons. She guided her pair to an 8-2 record in SACC play and a 12-5 mark against Division II opponents while serving as a steady and reliable presence at the No. 1 position all season.

Ahsmuhs and Potts were a dominant duo all season for the Eagles, who went a perfect 10-0 in conference play to secure their second straight SACC regular season title. The pair finished 24-3 overall and did not lose a match in conference action.

Barrantes, a freshman from San Jose, Costa Rica, posted a 7-3 record in SACC play and competed in 21 matches at the No. 1 position. She recorded notable wins over Morehead State, Austin Peay, and Carson-Newman to highlight her strong rookie campaign.

Collins earns her second consecutive SACC Coach of the Year award as Carson-Newman remained unbeaten in conference play over the past two seasons. The Eagles went 10-0 this year and have won 20 straight league contests. Entering the tournament as the reigning champions, Carson-Newman will look to repeat. Overall, the Eagles finished 25-2 and opened the season with 16 consecutive wins.

In addition to the individual awards, the league announced the First and Second Team All-Conference pairings. Carson-Newman led the way with three First Team selections and one Second Team selection, while Erskine, Tusculum, and Wingate each had two pairs represented.

First Team All-Conference

Emerson Ahsmuhs / Ava Potts, Carson-Newman
Addie Smith / Camryn Ehlers, Carson-Newman
Paige Halcrow / Trinity Hafey, Carson-Newman
Abigal Platt / Reka Meilinger, Erskine
Hannah Marsh / Sofia Vega Barrantes, Tusculum

Second Team All-Conference

Lucy Bartee / Morgan Foy, Carson-Newman
Mackenzie Fa'apouli / Hannah Platt, Erskine
Brynn Smith / Sylvia Liszewski, Tusculum
Lilou Thieme / Kate Beezer, Wingate
Ella Harm / Naomi Hilliard, Wingate

Player of the Year

Abigal Platt, Erskine

Pair of the Year

Emerson Ahsmuhs / Ava Potts, Carson-Newman

Freshman of the Year

Sofia Vega Barrantes, Tusculum

Coach of the Year

Cat Collins, Carson-Newman