GREENVILLE, S.C. – Conference Carolinas has released its 2025 women’s volleyball all-conference honors as chosen by the league's head coaches.
Francis Marion University took home a pair of major awards, player of the year to Madilyn Gartner and coach of the year to Lauren Baufield-Edwards. Chowan University’s Diana Rodriguez earned defensive player of the year honors while Marusa Pesut of Emmanuel University took home the freshman of the year award.
Gartner had an outstanding season as she is the only player averaging better than 4.00 kills per set at 4.01. Her 437 total kills lead Conference Carolinas. The kills per set number currently ranks 19th in NCAA Division II and her points per set average of 4.39 per set ranks 33rd. In terms of total kills, Gartner ranks fourth in the country. She has posted seven double-doubles on the season, including three matches with at least 20 kills and one with 20 digs. She posted 21 kills and 20 digs against the University Mount Olive and posted a season-high 24 kills against Converse University. Gartner was tabbed Conference Carolinas Player of the Week three times this season. Gartner is the first Francis Marion women’s volleyball player to be selected Conference Carolinas Offensive Player of the Year.
Rodriguez has been tough in the back row all season, leading Conference Carolinas with 564 total digs and an average of 5.81 digs per set. She is one of four players in Conference Carolinas to eclipse the 500-dig mark this season. That digs per set number ranks fifth in NCAA Division II while her total digs rank eighth in the country. She has posted 13 matches with at least 20 digs, including three matches over 30. Her season-high of 41 digs came against Barton College on September 30. Rodriguez was selected Conference Carolinas Specialist of the Week on October 6. Rodriguez is the first Chowan women’s volleyball player to earn Conference Carolinas Defensive Player of the Year recognition.
Pesut has had a breakout rookie season for the Lions as she leads Conference Carolinas with an average of 9.92 assists per set. She is one of two setters in the league to eclipse the 1,000-assist mark this season as she leads the league with 1,032. Her assists per set average also ranks 31st in the country while her total assists ranks 12th in all of NCAA Division II. She has posted 21 matches with at least 30 kills, including four with at least 50 assists. She set her career-high of 51 three times. She was named Conference Carolinas Specialist of the Week on October 13 and freshman of the month on October 3. Pesut is the first Emmanuel women’s volleyball player to garner Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year honors.
Baufield-Edwards earns Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year honors for the second time, the last coming in the fall of 2021. She has guided the Patriots to the top seed in the Conference Carolinas Women’s Volleyball Championship and their second east division title. Francis Marion currently owns an overall record of 21-9, going 18-2 in conference matches. The Patriots were also ranked eighth in the
latest NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Rankings.
2025 Conference Carolinas Women’s Volleyball All-Conference
Player of the Year
Madilyn Gartner, Francis Marion
Defensive Player of the Year
Diana Rodriguez, Chowan
Freshman of the Year
Marusa Pesut, Emmanuel
Coach of the Year
Lauren Baufield-Edwards, Francis Marion
First Team
Madilyn Gartner, Francis Marion
Caroline Lucas, Francis Marion
Ellie Jackson, Emmanuel
Sydney Stigler, Lees-McRae
Abby Peduzzi, UNC Pembroke
Diana Rodriguez, Chowan (libero)
Marusa Pesut, Emmanuel (setter)
Second Team
Alayah Robertson, Converse
Samantha Ball, North Greenville
Anna Fiddelke, North Greenville
Abby Schirm, Young Harris
Bree Lyons, Converse
Faith Morse, King (libero)
Alysha Arroyo, Converse (setter)
Third Team
Olivia Melvin, Mount Olive
Ava Trentman, Converse
Cailin Pritchard, Emmanuel
McKenna Hayes, UNC Pembroke
Faith Kelly, Emmanuel
Noemia Chiacchio, Converse (libero)
Izadora Rosin, Lees-McRae (setter)