WINTER PARK, Fla. – For a second-consecutive season, senior outside hitter Nikki Hartman was selected to the All-Sunshine State Conference Second Team, while freshman Mikayla Pierce was tabbed on the All-Freshman Team, the conference office announced Thursday.

Hartman ended her final season with 501 kills to finish with a 3.82 kills per set average to gain the top spot in the conference.  Her 501 kills also tied her for second on the Tars’ single-season kills list and marks the fourth player in school history to achieve the 500 kill plateau.

A native of Deltona, Fla., Hartman was second on the team in digs with 417, which averages to 3.18 per set and placed her 10th in the conference.

Freshman Mikayla Pierce earned a spot on the All-Freshman team with 357 kills.  The Fresno, Calif., native finished her inaugural season with 14 aces, 63 blocks and 195 digs.  Pierce, an outside hitter, teamed with Hartman to provide over half of the Tars’ total kills.

The second-team and all-freshman accolades mark the second-straight season the Tars placed a member on each of the teams.  Last year, Hartman garnered second-team honors, while then-freshman libero Phoebe Corder was named to the all-freshman team.

2009 ALL-SUNSHINE STATE CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL TEAM

FIRST TEAM
OH – Lydee Benoit (Eckerd, Senior)
OPP – Julia Borecka (Florida Southern, Senior)
OH – Emily Calderon-Reyes (Saint Leo, Junior)
OH – Kaleigh Cunningham (Tampa, Junior)
MB – Kaitlin McKenna (Saint Leo, Junior)
S – Michelle Nogueras (Saint Leo, Senior)
OH – Melissa Vanderhall (Tampa, Junior)
L – Kathleen Yony (Nova Southeastern, Junior)

Player of the Year – Melissa Vanderhall, Tampa
Freshman of the Year – Carly Perschnick, Nova Southeastern
Coach of the Year – Sam Cibrone, Saint Leo

SECOND TEAM
MB – Danielle Bletso (Saint Leo, Sophomore)
OH – Nikki Hartman (Rollins, Senior)
S – Valia Petrova (Nova Southeastern, Senior)
OH – Bruna Rocha (Saint Leo, Junior)
S – Meghan Sherman (Tampa, Junior)
OPP – Julia Teixiera (Barry, Junior)
L – Julie Howlett (Tampa, Sophomore)
L – Lacy Redwine (Lynn, Junior)

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
OH/MB – Caitlyn Ballweber (Florida Tech)
MB – Taylor Manning (Eckerd)
MB – Carly Perschnick (Nova Southeastern)
OH – Mikayla Pierce (Rollins)
OH – Anne Pietkiewicz (Florida Southern)
MB – Danielle Selkridge (Tampa)
RS – Chelsey Semprini (Lynn)