Carranza Repeats as SCIAC Volleyball Defensive Player of Year; Five Athenas Named All-SCIAC

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Junior libero Dede Carranza captured the SCIAC Defensive Player of the Year Award for the second straight season, and was joined by four other Athenas on the All-SCIAC teams in a vote of the league's coaches, the conference office announced today.

Carranza was joined on the All-SCIAC first team by senior outside hitter Jenna Holmes, junior setter Georgia McGovern and junior middle hitter Audrey Sawyer, while junior right-side hitter Brenna Bell earned a spot on the second team. 

Carranza averaged 5.13 digs per set for the Athenas, while tallying 284 service receptions and only 10 errors on the year. She was twice named the SCIAC Defensive Player of the Week, and also contributed offensively with a team-high 41 service aces, while adding 97 assists. 

Holmes followed up her National Player of the Year season as a junior by leading the Athenas in kills by a wide margin at 335, an average of 3.99 per set, while hitting .275. She also added 249 digs defensively and contributed 37 service aces. 

McGovern quarterbacked the CMS offense all six rotations this year, and tallied 937 assists during the regular season, leaving her 63 shy of reaching 1000 heading into the SCIAC Tournament. She also contributed 118 kills on a .369 hitting percentage, and had 231 digs and 40 aces. 

Sawyer continued to be the most efficient offensive weapon in CMS history, tallying 154 kills on a .393 hitting percentage, while adding a team-high 58 blocks. Sawyer has hit .380 or higher in each of her first three seasons, and is on pace to shatter the career hitting percentage record by over 70 points. 

Bell added 178 kills this season for the Athenas, hitting .263 from her right side position. She was also just behind Sawyer for the team lead in blocks with 54.

CMS will open SCIAC Tournament play on Thursday when it hosts one of two semifinal matches against Whittier at 7 p.m.

To view the complete All-SCIAC Teams, go to the following link:

2023 All-SCIAC Volleyball Teams