Wingate's Morland and Tekavec Repeat as Volleyball Player and Coach of the Year; Anderson's Hedlund Named Freshman of the Year
Rock Hill, S.C. (theSAC.com) – For the second straight season, Wingate's Sydney Morland was named the South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year, and her head coach, Lauren Tekavec, was named Coach of the Year as the SAC announced its 2025 Volleyball All-Conference team and individual award winners. Joining the repeat award winners is Anderson's Mikaylah Hedlund, who was named Freshman of the Year.
Morland is the only player in Division I or Division II who averages over three kills per set while hitting over .400. Morland followed up a season in which she won Southeast Region Player of the Year and managed to find another level. She averages 3.47 kills per set, and her .424 hitting percentage ranks fifth nationally. Defensively, she has 78 blocks on the year, good for 1.01 blocks per set. She had a season-high 19 kills – in just three sets – in a win over Francis Marion where she hit .643. In total, she has eight matches this season where she has hit .600 or better.
In her third season at the helm, Tekavec has the Bulldogs on a 25-match winning streak and ranked 15th in the nation, their highest national ranking of the season. Wingate ran through the conference with an 18-0 record, with 13 of those wins being sweeps. Each of their last seven victories has come by a 3-0 final, and her team hasn't dropped a match since September 5. Since taking over prior to the 2023 season, Tekavec has compiled an 85-8 record and a .914 winning percentage.
Hedlund, an outside hitter from Fountain Inn, S.C., helped the Trojans to a second-place finish in the league with her outstanding rookie campaign. For the season, she has 217 kills, 19 service aces, 179 digs, and 28 blocks. She opened her career with five matches of double-digit kills in her first six contests and posted a season-high 18 kills against Emmanuel. She has five double-doubles on the year and has twice recorded 19 digs in a match.
Wingate led the way with four first-team honorees. Joining Morland on the first team are teammates Maddie Hoffman, Emily Johnson, and Maya Van Heyst. Carson-Newman's dynamic duo of Maddie Hurst and Emerson Ahsmuhs also earned first team honors, along with Lenoir-Rhyne's Kayli Cleaver and Anderson's Ellie Nieporte.
Wingate, Anderson and Lenoir-Rhyne all had five All-Conference honorees and Carson-Newman had four. The league also announced its All-Freshmen team.
2025 SAC Volleyball All-Conference
First Team
Emerson Ahsmuhs, Carson-Newman
Kayli Cleaver, Lenoir-Rhyne
Maddie Hoffman, Wingate (L)
Maddie Hurst, Carson-Newman
Emily Johnson, Wingate
Sydney Morland, Wingate
Ellie Nieporte, Anderson
Maya Van Heyst, Wingate
Second Team
Emmaleigh Allen, Lenoir-Rhyne
Emily Campbell, Anderson
Blair Cherry, Carson-Newman
Averie Dale, Lenoir-Rhyne
Mia Elder, Anderson
Laela Jimenez, Mars Hill (L)
Ava Reeves, Anderson
Gabby Saye, Wingate
Third Team
Morgan Blankenship, UVA Wise
Annie Dziczkowski, Carson-Newman
Carole Ann Hussey, Newberry
Kaytlin Johnson, Lincoln Memorial
Maura Kindel, Anderson
Emmie Modlin, Lenoir-Rhyne
Ioana Poenaru, Mars Hill
Hadley Prince, Lenoir-Rhyne (L)
All-Freshman
Mikaylah Hedlund, Anderson
Jamie Juhnevicz, Anderson
Rylee Tanner, Wingate
Kaytlin Johnson, Lincoln Memorial
Mable James, UVA Wise
Addie Bittner, Coker
Player of the Year
Sydney Morland, Wingate
Freshman of the Year
Mikaylah Hedlund, Anderson
Coach of the Year
Lauren Tekavec, Wingate