Wingate's Morland and Tekovec Earn Regional Accolades; Nine Named All-Region

ROCK HILL, S.C. (theSAC.com) – The D2CCA and AVCA Volleyball All-Region teams were announced and the South Atlantic Conference was well represented. Wingate's Sydney Morland was named Regional Player of the Year and Wingate head coach Lauren Tekovec was announced as the AVCA Regional Coach of the Year.

The SAC had seven D2CCA All-Region selections, the same amount as the Peach Belt and Conference Carolinas combined. Nine SAC volleyball players made up the first team All-Region as announced by the AVCA.

Morland, a senior middle blocker, earns the regional player of the year honor for the second straight year, leading #14 Wingate to a 28-1 overall season while capturing the SAC regular season and tournament titles. Morland is the only player in NCAA Division I or II volleyball that averages over three kills per set while hitting over .400 on the year. Morland is the active career leader in hitting percentage in D2 volleyball. The back-to-back SAC Player of the Year is averaging 3.45 kills per set, hitting .414 on the year while also notching 0.98 blocks per set. The 2024 AVCA and D2CCA All-American ranks in the top three in the SAC in kills per set, blocks per set and hitting percentage. Morland has helped Wingate rank fourth in the nation in kills per set and ninth in hitting percentage this season.

Tekavec is the Region Coach of the Year for the second straight season. The third-year head coach led the Bulldogs to the SAC regular season and tournament titles in dominant fashion, going 28-1 overall and 18-0 in the SAC, riding a 27-match into the NCAA Southeast Regionals, which the 'Dogs will host for the fourth straight year. Wingate has swept 23 of its 29 matches this year, including all three SAC Tourney contests. The Bulldogs rank second in the nation in winning percentage and assists per, while ranking third in digs per set and opponents' hitting percentage. The Bulldogs are fourth in kills per set and ninth in hitting percentage. Wingate is the only school in the country to rank in the top 10 nationally in hitting percentage and opponents' hitting percentage. Tekavec is 87-8 through her first three years as the head coach, going 52-2 in league play while capturing three regular season SAC titles, two tourney titles and a region championship.

Joining Morland on the first team D2CCA All-Region team is Carson-Newman's Emerson Ahsmuhs. Wingate's Gabby Saye, Maya Van Heyst and Maddie Hoffman were named to the Second Team along with Lenoir-Rhyne's Kayli Cleaver.

All of those players were First Team All-Region by the AVCA and were joined by Lenoir-Rhyne's Averie Dale and Anderson's Ellie Nieporte. Anderson's Emily Campbell, Mia Elder and Lenoir-Rhyne's Hadley Prince were named Honorable Mention selections.