BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A day after the opening round the 2022 Gulf South Conference Volleyball Championship, the conference unveiled the All-GSC Teams and yearly award winners, as voted by conference’s head coaches.
 
West Florida’s Taylor Vaneekeren took home GSC Setter of the Year and Player of the Year accolades. Montevallo’s Casey Hendrixson was named GSC Libero of the Year. Mississippi College’s Caroline Chastang was voted as GSC Freshman of Year. Meanwhile UWF head coach Melissa Wolter was recognized as GSC Coach of the Year.
 
The regular season champions, West Florida, had four all-conference selections, highlighted by three First Team nods. Mississippi College also had quartet earn All-GSC honors, while Union and Montevallo followed with three selections apiece. A total of nine schools were represented between the First and Second Team. 
 
The league’s head coaches voted on the recipients with each team comprised of nine players regardless of position. In the event of a tie, all candidates are awarded as no tiebreaker exists. Player of the Year honors are awarded to the player who receives the highest point total during the all-conference voting. 
 
Vaneekeren, a two-time All-GSC selection, is the first player in conference history to be named the league’s top setter and player in the same year. She is also the first setter to win Player of the Year since 2015. The junior finished the regular season as the GSC leader in assists per set (10.56) and total assists (1,151). With Vaneekeren as offensive catalyst, the Argos averaged a league-best 14.82 kills per set and were ranked among the top 10 in Division II in kills (3rd/1,535) and hitting percentage (6th/.282). She also notched 114 kills, was fourth on the team in blocks (50.0), second in digs (262) and team leader with 34 aces.
 
Hendrixson earned her first career all-conference nod and becomes the first Montevallo player to receive the league’s top libero honors. The junior held down the backline for the Falcons this season appearing in 116 sets across 31 matches. As a result, she logged 521 digs and was second among GSC leaders in total digs and the conference leader in digs per set (4.61). 
 
Chastang is the first Mississippi College player in program-history to be named the conference’s top freshman. The rookie put together a fantastic debut season finishing as the GSC leader in kills (330) and kills per set (3.14), while also being among conference top 10 in points (6th/344) and points per set (5th/3.28). She also tallied 79 digs, 20 blocks, and two aces in her first season.
 
For the sixth in her career, Wolter received the conference’s top coaching honor and became the first to do in back-to-back seasons since 2007. The longtime head coach was recognized after directing West Florida to its fifth-consecutive outright regular season title with a 15-1 record in GSC play, while going 25-5 overall. 
 
2022 GSC AWARDS & ALL-GSC TEAMS
Player of the Year: Taylor Vaneekeren, West Florida
Setter of the Year: Taylor Vaneekeren, West Florida
Libero of the Year: Casey Hendrixson, Montevallo
Freshman of the Year: Caroline Chastang, Mississippi College
Coach of the Year: Mellissa Wolter, West Florida
 
First Team All-GSC
Taylor Vaneekeren, S, West Florida*
Emily Grace Calhoon, OH/MB, Union*§
Allie Dishman, MB, Montevallo#
Jordan Vick, OH, Union#‡
Jenna Zydlo, MH, West Florida
Casey Hendrixson, L, Montevallo
Lydia Paulette, MB, Mississippi College
Lexie Laurendine, OPP, Mississippi College#‡
Camila Vazquez, MH, West Florida
 
Second Team All-GSC^
Caroline Chastang, OH, Mississippi College
Ylenia De Mango, MB, Auburn Montgomery
Paris Morris, OH, Alabama Huntsville
Macy Martin, OH/RS, Montevallo
Jojo Smith, OH, Valdosta State*
Sydney Blackmon, DS/L, West Georgia#
Katherine Patrick, MH, Shorter
Avery Rodgers, RS, West Florida
Kendall Platt, OH, Mississippi College
Sydney Sample, DS/L, Union
 
^ - Tie in voting, no tiebreaker
* - First Team All-GSC in 2021
# - Second Team All-GSC in 2021
§ - First Team All-GSC in 2019
‡ - Second Team All-GSC in 2019