Volleyball team captures South Division title, Bryant named Player of the Year
The Palm Beach State College Volleyball team wrapped up their 2022 season capturing the Sun-Lakes Conference South Division championship.
The Panthers played their first five games of the season on the road, going 2-3 in those contests. A five-game losing streak, including four conference games, brought the Panthers to 2-6 heading into South Division play. That is when the season turned around. The Panthers are currently on a nine-game winning streak, with eight of those wins being conference wins. In that winning streak, Annie Messler and Allison Bryant picked up Region 8 Setter of the Week and Region 8 Player of the Week, respectively.
The Panthers also attended the FCSAA Division II Volleyball Banquet, where Allison Bryant was named the Sun-Lakes Player of the Year. In winning Player of the Year, Bryant is also the Region 8 Player of the Year as well as the FCSAA DII Player of the Year. She is seventh in the nation and second in the conference in kills per set (4.41). She is one of only four players in the Sun-Lakes Conference to have 200 or more kills (269) and digs (210).
Nina Vallesi will be joining Bryant on the All-NJCAA Region 8 team. Vallesi was 14th in the conference in hitting percentage (.245) and ranked in the top 20 in the conference in all of the blocking categories.
Ashlyn Banton and Dena Otte are the two Panthers on the Sun-Lakes Conference second team. Banton was 12th in the conference in digs (278) and fifth in digs per set (4.63). Otte was 18th in kills per set (2.22) and 13th in hitting percentage (.246).
The Panthers now advance to the FCSAA/NJCAA Division II Gulf District Tournament, which will be livestreamed. The Panthers enter as the No. 4 seed (11-6), where they will face fifth-seed South Florida State College at 9 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 4. It is a single elimination tournament with the Gulf District Champion advancing to the NJCAA National Tournament.
For more information on the FCSAA/NJCAA Division II Gulf District Tournament including the schedule, click here.
Congratulations to Coaches Drew Colvin, Jessica Colvin, and the whole team! This is a very special group of ladies. I’ve attended as many of their matches as possible, and have even enjoyed watching many of their 7:00 a.m. practices before I have to leave for my first class of the day. The whole team has welcomed me as a friend, and I sincerely appreciate it. I wish them all the best in the Gulf District Tournament!