DANVILLE, Va. — Bridgewater College's Rachel Gaston was named Player of the Year for the second consecutive season and Christopher Newport University's Sammy Carroll was selected as Rookie of the Year as the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) announced its 2019 College Division All-State women's volleyball teams on Monday. Virginia Wesleyan University's Andrea Hoover-Erbig was named Coach of the Year to round out the major individual awards.
Seven different programs from across the Commonwealth were represented in the annual awards presented to the best women's volleyball players in the state at the Division II, III or NAIA level. Christopher Newport University and Washington and Lee University led the group with three total selections each, while three of the seven schools had at least two players selected.
Gaston, a senior outside hitter from Mechanicsville, Virginia, repeated as VaSID Player of the Year with a solid campaign in her final season at Bridgewater. For the second season in a row, Gaston earned American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Honorable Mention and AVCA All-South Region accolades and was named Old Dominion Athletic Conference Player of the Year. The 2019 ODAC Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year finished second in the ODAC in kills per set (3.93), third in total kills (389), eighth in digs per set (3.98) and nine in total digs (394). She was the only ODAC player to rank in the top 10 in all hitting and passing statistical categories.
Carroll, a freshman setter from Gainesville, Virginia, was named the Capital Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year following a stellar first season at Christopher Newport. She earned AVCA All-America Honorable Mention recognition after being voted to the AVCA First Team in the East Region. The three-time CAC Offensive Player of the Week finished the season ranked 35th nationally in assists per set (9.84), 18th in total assists (1,230), and 50th in service aces (59) while leading the CAC in each category. Her 1,230 assists rank as the eighth most in a single season in CNU history and she posted two 50-plus assist matches, nine 40-plus assist matches and 24 matches of at least 30 assists.
In her 14th season at Virginia Wesleyan, Hoover-Erbig guided the Marlins to the best season in program history with a 28-8 record and its first ODAC Conference Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. The ODAC Coach of the Year had a program-best five players named to the all-conference team.
Gaston and Carroll also earned a spot on the 2019 VaSID All-State First Team. They were joined by Christopher Newport University's Riley Garrison and Katie Piper, Washington and Lee University's Brynne Gould and Marymount University's Mykael Johnson. Washington and Lee's Caroline Gard was named the First Team libero/defensive specialist.
The VaSID All-State Second Team was comprised of the University of Mart Washington's Peyton Dunow and Savannah Powers, Washington and Lee's Courtney Berry, Randolph-Macon College's Sydney Koch, Virginia Wesleyan's Amber Matalus and Marymount's Maggie Viniard, along with Bridgewater libero/defensive specialist Taylor McNeely.
VaSID names 37 all-state teams in 22 sports each year, as well as an Academic All-State squad and an all-sports champion in both the University and College Divisions. Membership in VaSID is open to all media relations professionals working at a university or conference in the state of Virginia.
Virginia Sports Information Directors 2019 College Division All-State Women's Volleyball Teams:
Player of the Year
Rachel Gaston, Bridgewater College
Rookie of the Year
Sammy Carroll, Christopher Newport University
Coach of the Year
Andrea Hoover-Erbig, Virginia Wesleyan University
All-State First Team
At-Large
Sammy Carroll, Christopher Newport University
Riley Garrison, Christopher Newport University
Rachel Gaston, Bridgewater College
Brynne Gould, Washington and Lee University
MyKael Johnson, Marymount University
Katie Piper, Christopher Newport University
Libero/Defensive Specialist
Caroline Gard, Washington and Lee University
All-State Second Team
At-Large
Courtney Berry, Washington and Lee University
Peyton Dunow, University of Mary Washington
Sydney Koch, Randolph-Macon College
Amber Matalus, Virginia Wesleyan University
Savannah Powers, University of Mary Washington
Maggie Viniard, Marymount University
Libero/Defensive Specialist
Taylor McNeely, Bridgewater College