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MOCS PLACE FIVE TEAMS IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

TAMPA - All five teams from Florida Southern earned places in the inaugural Sunshine State Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship played Mar. 29 at Tampa.  Each of the nine schools in the Sunshine State Conference was represented.  The Moccasins' team of Danielle Durham and Danielle Higginbotham took first place in the silver division.  The team of Anna Greenwood and Beverly Stasis and the team of Ashley Martin and Natalie Arvizu tied for the fifth and the team of Elise Burke and Courtney Johnson tied for seventh in the silver division.  In the bronze division, the team of Maggie Drumm and Stephanie Goldstein placed second.  The championship was awarded to the team earning the most points based on pool play results.  Tampa won the team title, with Saint Leo second and FSC third.

 

JOSH HILL NAMED ASSISTANT VOLLEYBALL COACH

Josh Hill, an assistant volleyball coach at Campbell University the past two seasons, is the new assistant volleyball coach at Florida Southern College.  Hill replaces Chuck Waddington on the staff of head coach Jill Stephens.  Waddington resigned after five seasons to become the head volleyball coach at Angelo State in Texas.

"I'm super excited to have Josh joining our staff," Stephens said.  "He has great experience and fits in with our philosophy of excellence and family.  He also wants to win a national championship, which is one of our goals every season." 

Prior to his two seasons at Campbell, Hill served as a volunteer assistant at Florida for the 2005 season.  The Gators reached the NCAA regional finals that season.  During his tenure at Florida, he also worked at the nationally acclaimed Florida Volleyball Camp and served as director of the Faith Sports Camps.

Hill was a four-year letterwinner in men's volleyball at Northland Baptist Bible College (Wis.), earning first-team all-conference honors three times.  He was the conference tournament MVP in 2000 and was an all-tournament selection at the 2000 NCCAA Tournament.  He received his bachelor's degree in counseling from Northland Baptist and earned his master's degree in counseling from Bob Jones University in South Carolina.

Hill begins his duties at Florida Southern on Feb. 18.  He and his wife, Annie, have two sons, Noah (3) and Jacob (10 months).

 

STEPHENS EARNS HALL OF FAME HONOR

Moccasin volleyball coach Jill Stephens recently was inducted into the Hall of Fame of her high school alma mater, Cardinal Gibbons High School in Ft. Lauderdale.  Stephens was a standout in both volleyball and basketball at Cardinal Gibbons.  In basketball, she set the school's single-game scoring record (52 points), as well as the career scoring record.  In volleyball, she was a two-time all-state selection while playing for legendary coach Louise Crocco.  "Knowing that Coach Crocco also is in the Cardinal Gibbons Hall of Fame makes it an amazing honor," Stephens said.  "It was great to go back and visit with family and friends." 

Crocco, currently the athletic director at Cardinal Gibbons, coached volleyball for 39 years and won 18 state championships.  She had this to say about Stephens:  "Jill ranks as one of the top volleyball players to come out of our program.  Her athleticism gave her the ability to be a top player, but her dedication to becoming the best she could be was what made her a great player.  She was a student of the game, learning as much as she could in a very short period of time, getting better each practice.  Jill was very coachable and would do anything to get better.  Her leadership on and off the court contributed to our success in winning three state championships while she was on the team.  She also was given the highly esteemed "Lady Redskin Award" her senior year.  This award is not automatically given out every year.  It is only given when a player shows exceptional qualities of leadership, teamwork, sportsmanship and will go the extra mile to do everything for the betterment of her team.  Jill epitomized all these qualities and highly deserved this award.  She still exhibits these qualities today as she coaches.  We are so proud of Jill and the person and coach she has become, and she is a great addition to the Cardinal Gibbons Athletic Hall of Fame."

Stephens is the second Moccasin volleyball player named to the Cardinal Gibbons Hall of Fame.  Denise Sanscrainte, who played at FSC from 1977-80, was an earlier inductee.  Both Stephens and Sanscrainte played at FSC for FSC and SSC Hall of Fame Coach Lois Webb.    

 

AVCA ALL-AMERICA HONORS FOR MARTIN, STASIS

The Moccasins' Ashley Martin and Beverly Stasis are second-team selections on the 2007 American Volleyball Coaches Association NCAA Division II All-America Team announced Monday.  Martin receives second-team recognition  for the second straight year.  Stasis has received honorable mention recognition each of the last two years, after being named AVCA Freshman of the Year in 2004.  Their selection brings to 28 the number of All-America selections the Moccasins have received from the AVCA.

Martin, a junior, led the Moccasins in kills with 439 and had a .280 hitting percentage.  Stasis, a senior, was second on the team in kills with 434 and third in digs with 418.  She finished her four-year career as the FSC and Sunshine State Conference leader in kills with 2001.  She is second in FSC career digs (1659), fifth in career aces (195) and fourth in career games played (487) and matches played (145).  The Moccasins were 26-9 and finished second in the South Regional.  

 

AVCA ALL-REGION HONORS FOR MARTIN, STASIS

Ashley Martin and Beverly Stasis are the Moccasins' representatives on the America Volleyball Coaches Association All-South Region Team.  Martin is a first-team selection for the second straight year, while Stasis earns her third straight all-region award after being named the national and region freshman of the year in 2004.

Martin, a junior, led the Moccasins in kills with 439 and had a .280 hitting percentage.  Stasis, a senior, was second on the team in kills with 434 and third in digs with 418.  She finished her four-year career as the FSC and Sunshine State Conference leader in kills with 2001.  She is second in FSC career digs (1659), fifth in career aces (195) and fourth in career games played (487) and matches played (145).

Defending national champion Tampa placed five players on the 12-member all-region team - Erin Clark, Katelen Dixon, Alisha Green, Gabriela Saade and Margeaux Sinabaldi.  The Moccasins were the only other school with more than one player selected.  Completing the squad were Melissa DeLuca of Wingate, Vivian Lacy of Tusculum, Michelle Nogueras of Saint Leo, Camilla Pagnan of Barry and Daris Rodriguez of Lynn.  Kaitlin McKenna of Saint Leo was named the region's freshman of the year.

The Moccasins were 26-9 and finished second in the South Regional.  

 

MARTIN, STASIS ON DAKTRONICS ALL-REGION TEAM

Ashley Martin and Beverly Stasis have been selected to the Daktronics All-South Region Team chosen by the region's sports information directors.  Martin, who leads the Moccasins in kills with 386, was a first-team selection for the second straight year.  Stasis, the FSC and Sunshine State Conference career leader in kills, received all-region recognition for the fourth straight year.  She was a second-team choice for the second straight year, after earning first-team recognition as a freshman and a sophomore.  She is second on the team in kills this season with 379.

As a first-team selection, Martin will appear on the ballot for the Daktronics Division II All-America Team.  She was joined on the first team by Barry's Camilla Pagnan and five players from Tampa - region player of the year Erin Clark, Alisha Green, Gabriela Saade, Katelen Dixon and Margeaux Sinibaldi. 

 

HIGGINBOTHAM, STASIS NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT

The Moccasins' Danielle Higginbotham and Beverly Stasis have been named to the Academic All-District Volleyball Team selected by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).  Higginbotham, a junior, was a second-team selection and Stasis, a senior, was a third-team choice.  Higginbotham has a 3.77 grade point average and is majoring in business.  Stasis has a 3.56 GPA and also is majoring in business.

Ranked 14th in this week's AVCA Division II Coaches Poll, the Moccasins play their final regular season match Friday at 7 p.m. at Jenkins Field House against Rollins.

Despite losing a pair of matches last weekend, the Moccasins still are ranked second in the South Region behind top-ranked Tampa.  In order behind the Moccasins are Nova Southeastern, Eckerd, Saint Leo, Wingate, Lynn, Rollins, South Carolina-Aiken and Tusculum.