DeLeye AVCA Region Player of the Year, Skinner Coach of the Year
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The American Volleyball Coaches Association announced Tuesday that Brooklyn DeLeye was voted as the winner of the 2024 AVCA South Region Player of the Year Award as voted on by all head coaches in the south region, and Craig Skinner was voted as the 2024 AVCA South Region Coach of the Year. Additionally, Emma Grome and Molly Tuozzo were named to the AVCA All-South Region Team and Brooke Bultema was voted honorable mention.
The player of the year award for DeLeye comes on the heels of being named the AVCA South Region Freshman of the Year in 2023 and her 2024 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year award, which was announced last weekend. The Topeka, Kansas native has logged 487 kills this year with 4.77 coming per set to lead all Wildcats. She is hitting .288 on the season and is coming off of a 22-kill performance as Kentucky knocked off No. 15 Minnesota in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Volleyball Tournament. In postseason play, DeLeye is averaging a mammoth 5.29 kills per set and 2.29 digs per set with a trio of aces in each match and has scored 44.5 points for the Wildcats.
Skinner, who is now a three-time AVCA Region Coach of the Year, adds to his award cabinet with Tuesday’s honor. He previously won the title for Region Coach of the Year in 2011 and during Kentucky’s NCAA Championship run in 2020. Skinner won his 300th Southeastern Conference match against Missouri on Nov. 27, as Kentucky clinched its eighth-straight SEC title under Skinner’s direction. He has guided Kentucky to the NCAA Tournament in all 20 of his years in Lexington and with Friday’s win over Minnesota, advanced to his 10th NCAA Regional Semifinal.
Emma Grome and Molly Tuozzo were both named AVCA All-Region with Grome picking up the honor for the fourth time in her four-year career as a Wildcat, with Tuesday’s announcement coming as the first-career AVCA honor for Tuozzo. Grome is averaging 11.22 assists per set this season and Friday night passed Madison Lilley as the all-time assists leader in Kentucky Volleyball history with her 51st assist against the Golden Gophers. Tuozzo, who dawned the libero jersey for the Wildcats this season, is averaging 3.92 digs per set and was also named to the All-Southeastern Conference Team, just as Grome was earlier in December.
Brooke Bultema was also named honorable mention to the 2024 All-South Region Team, as voted on by the coaches in the region.
American Volleyball Coaches Association All-South Region Team
Callie Bauer, WKU
Nine Cajic, Tennessee
Kaylee Cox, WKU
Cara Cresse, Louisville
Anna DeBeer, Louisville
Brooklyn DeLeye, Kentucky
Keondreya Granberry, Tennessee
Emma Grome, Kentucky
Caroline Kerr, Tennessee
Charitie Luper, Louisville
Elena Scott, Louisville
Mokohana Tufono, Ole Miss
Molly Tuozzo, Kentucky
Nia Washington, Ole Miss
Honorable Mention
Brooke Bultema, Kentucky
Payton Brgoch, Ole Miss
Tori Hester, Troy
Madolyn Isringhausen, Tennessee Tech
Cammy Niesen, Ole Miss
Reese Robins, Louisville
Arissa Smith, Mississippi State
Izzy Van De Wiele, WKU
Player of the Year – Brooklyn DeLeye, Kentucky
Freshman of the Year – Nayelis Cabello, Louisville
Coach of the Year – Craig Skinner, Kentucky
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