AVCA All-Americans | D2CCA All-Americans

Lexington, Ky.----For the second consecutive year, Wingate University senior Sydney Morland has earned All-American honors from the AVCA and D2CCA. Morland is a D2CCA second team All-American selection, while earning third team accolades from the AVCA. May Van Heyst is also an AVCA third team All-American selection for the second straight year. In addition, Maddie Hoffman, Emily Johnson and Gabby Saye are AVCA honorable mention All-Americans.

Morland has piled up the accolades over the last two seasons. The back-to-back SAC Player of the Year is also the back-to-back AVCA and D2CCA Southeast Region Player of the Year. Morland is one of seven players in WUVB history to be named an AVCA and D2CCA All-American in the same year, while becoming just the second player in program history to be named to both teams in two separate years, joining Wingate Hall of Famer Stormi Gale (2009 and 2010).

Morland is the active career leader in all of D2 volleyball with her .402 hitting percentage. She is the only player in all of D1 or D2 volleyball that is averaging over 3.0 kills per set while hitting over .400. Morland is averaging 3.41 kills per set while hitting .416 on the year, adding 1.01 blocks per set. She leads the SAC in hitting percentage and blocks per set, ranking second in the league in kills per set. Morland ranks fourth in the nation in hitting percentage. She has piled up 324 kills against just 45 errors in 671 swings this year. Morland has 824 kills in her three years at Wingate, hitting .402 while adding 243 blocks. She was named to the All-Tournament Team in the SAC and Regional Championships.

Morland has registered double-digit kills 17 times this year, hitting over .360 in 15 of those contests. She has hit over .500 in seven of those matches. Morland hit .372 with 18 kills against Lewis, while piling up 19 kills in 28 swings against Francis Marion to hit .643. She hit .382 with 16 kills at Catawba, while hitting .600 with 12 kills against Tusculum. Morland hit .529 with nine kills and no errors against Carson-Newman, while piling up 15 kills in 26 swings against LMU to hit .538. She hit .632 with 13 kills against Emory & Henry and piled up 15 kills with a .394 hitting percentage against Anderson. Morland hit .632 with 12 kills and no errors in the sweep at Anderson, while piling up 15 kills without an error in 21 swings against Coker in the SAC quarters, hitting .714. She hit .519 with 15 kills against Emmanuel in the regional quarters, while going for 11 kills and nine blocks against Flagler, hitting. 407. Morland had 12 kills and four blocks in the region title match against Anderson.

Van Heyst is a third team All-American for the second straight year. The back-to-back first team All-SAC honoree has earned first team All-Region accolades each of the last two seasons. Van Heyst was named the SAC Tournament MVP. She earned SAC Player of the Week accolades three times this year. The junior leads the SAC and ranks 16th in the nation with 10.9 assists per set, adding 2.99 digs per set to go along with 173 kills, 37 aces and 35 blocks. She runs a WU offense that ranks third in the nation in assists per set, fourth in kills per set and fifth in hitting percentage. She has also helped the 'Dogs rank fourth nationally in digs per set fifth and opponents' hitting percentage. Van Heyst has piled up 2,512 career aces, 875 digs, 420 kills, 100 aces and 90 blocks.

Van Heyst has piled up 18 double-doubles and a triple-double on the year, while coming within one kill of a triple-double on four other occasions. She had 36 assists, 16 digs and nine kills against Lewis, while piling up 44 assists in the FMU sweep. Van Heyst had 31 assists, 12 digs, six kills and three aces in the Eckerd sweep, while piling up 36 assists, 16 digs and four kills in the UNCP sweep. She followed with 37 assists, 12 digs and five kills at Catawba while piling up 32 assists, 14 digs and nine kills at Carson-Newman. Van Heyst had 41 assists, 13 digs, nine kills and two blocks against LMU, while piling up 53 assists, 10 digs, eight kills and five aces against Anderson. Van Heyst notched 39 assists, 10 kills, eight digs and two aces against Newberry, followed by a 39-assist, 12-dig, five-kill and two-block effort at Tusculum. She compiled 35 assists, nine kills, six digs and a block against Coker in the SAC Tourney quarterfinals. Van Heyst piled up 31 assists, 21 digs and 10 kills in the SAC semis, while notching 36 assists, 10 digs and six kills in the title match. She had 27 assists, 10 digs and six kills in the regional quarterfinals, followed by 44 assists, seven digs, four kills and four blocks in the semis. Van heist had 46 assists, 11 digs, four kills, two blocks and two aces in the title match, earning All-Tournament honors.

Johnson earns All-American recognition for the fourth straight year. The 2022 Region Freshman of the Year is a three-time first team All-SAC selection, while earning All-Region accolades all four seasons. Johnson ranks fifth in all of D2 volleyball with her .364 career hitting percentage. The senior averages 2.65 kills and 0.85 blocks per set, hitting .386 to rank 12th in the nation while adding 92 digs and 38 aces. Johnson is third in the SAC in hitting percentage, eighth in aces and 10th in blocks. She went over 1,000 career kills in the NCAA Regionals. Johnson has 1,025 career kills, 437 blocks and 104 aces, hitting .367.

Johnson has 23 matches with seven or more kills, while hitting .333 or better 19 times this year. She had seven kills and seven blocks against Francis Marion, while hitting .538 with seven kills against Eckerd. Johnson had eight kills, five blocks, four digs and two aces against Catawba, while hitting .375 with 13 kills and three blocks against UVA Wise. Johnson hit .765 with 13 kills, three blocks and three aces in the Emory & Henry sweep. She hit .346 with 11 kills and five digs at Mars Hill, followed by notching seven kills and four blocks at Coker, hitting .500. Johnson hit .619 with 13 kills against Newberry, followed by a 15-kill effort at Tusculum, hitting .652. Johnson hit .476 with 11 kills and eight digs in the SAC semifinal sweep against Carson-Newman. She hit .455 with 11 kills, five digs, two aces and a block in the regional quarterfinals, while going for 10 kills, two blocks, two aces and two digs in the semifinals. Johnson piled up 12 kills, eight blocks and three aces in the title match, earning All-Tournament honors.

Hoffman is an honorable mention All-American for the second straight year. The first team All-SAC libero has been an AVCA first team All-Region honoree each of the last two years. Hoffman leads the SAC and ranks 30th in the nation with 0.47 aces per set, while ranking second in the SAC and 21st nationally with 5.24 digs per set. She also leads all liberos in the conference with 150 assists. Hoffman anchors a WU defense that ranks fourth in the nation in digs per set and fifth in opponents' hitting percentage. She earned four SAC Defensive Player of the Week honors this year.

Hoffman has piled up double-digit digs in 30 of 32 matches. She had 22 digs in the season-opening sweep, while picking up 24 digs against Lewis and 21 in the Aiken sweep. Hoffman piled up 22 digs, seven assists and three aces against LMU, followed by a 20-dig effort against Lenoir-Rhyne and 21-dig performance in the UVA Wise sweep. She had 20 digs, five assists and two aces in the Catawba sweep, while piling up 25 digs and six assists against Anderson. Hoffman had 19 digs, three assists and five aces against Coker, while piling up 10 digs, seven aces and six assists against Carson-Newman. She had 15 digs, five assists and three aces at Newberry, followed by her 33-dig performance in the Tusculum sweep, adding eight assists. Hoffman piled up 17 digs, six assists and an ace in the SAC title match, earning All-Tournament honors. She had 23 digs in the regional quarterfinals, 22 digs in the semifinals and 18 more in the title match, earning All-Tournament honors. Hoffman has piled up 1,457 career digs, adding 341 assists and 136 aces.

Saye an honorable mention All-American for the third straight year. The three-time All-SAC right-side hitter has earned All-Region accolades each of the last three seasons. The senior is second on the team with her 2.78 kills per set, hitting .364 on the year while adding 66 blocks and 69 digs. Saye ranks fourth in the conference and 24th in the nation in hitting percentage. Her career .335 hitting percentage is good for 15th among all active D2 players. She went over 1,000 career kills earlier this season. Saye has 1,087 career kills while hitting .335, adding 258 blocks and 307 digs.

Saye has 10 matches with at least 10 kills this year, while notching at least eight kills 22 times. Saye hit .478 with 12 kills in the season opener, while hitting .478 with 13 kills at UNCP. She hit .571 and .529 in back-to-back sweeps against Tusculum and Coker, notching nine kills in each match. Saye hit .526 with 10 kills and six blocks against Catawba, while hitting .500 with 13 kills and three blocks against Emory & Henry. She hit .409 with 10 kills in the Anderson victory, while hitting .345 with 12 kills and five blocks at Tusculum. Saye had 10 kills with a .381 hitting percentage in the sweep at Anderson, while collecting eight kills in the SAC Tourney quarterfinal win over Coker, hitting .375. She hit .364 with nine kills in the SAC title match. She hit .450 with 10 kills and a block in the regional quarterfinals, while piling up 19 kills and hitting .643 in the semifinals. Saye hit .400 with 14 kills and three blocks in the title match, earning All-Tournament honors.