SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – South Dakota State outside hitter Sylvie Zgonc was selected as The Summit League Volleyball Player of the Year for the second straight year in a vote by the league's head coaches after leading the Jackrabbits to a 16-0 league record and the program's third regular season title during its Division I era.
Zgonc, who is just the second Jackrabbit to claim the league’s top honor, ranked first in the Summit League in kills per set (4.35) total kills (261), points (291) and points per set (4.85) during the 16-game league slate.
The Jackrabbit junior is the fourth student-athlete in Summit League history to win the Player of the Year award in consecutive seasons and first to achieve the feat since 2008-09 when Chrissy Knuth did the same for North Dakota State.
Dan Georgalas, who also secured his second straight Coach of the Year award, guided the Jackrabbits to back-to-back Summit League regular season titles. He is the first coach to receive the honor in consecutive seasons since Denver’s Tom Hogan (2017-18).
SDSU became the first Summit League team since 2019 to go unbeaten in league play and will take a 22-3 overall record into the Volleyball Championship. The Jackrabbits secured the third 20-win season in program history.
The St. Thomas offense was guided by junior Morgan Kealy, who secured the Setter of the Year award for the second year in a row. The River Falls, Wis., native led the league in assists per set (10.64) and in total assists (628) in league play.
St. Thomas’ Anya Schmidt is the first Tommie to claim Freshman of the Year honors. The UST newcomer helped lead the Tommies serving efforts as she ranked first in total aces (36) and first in the league in aces per set (0.61).
The Rogers, Minn., native was also a force offensively as she notched 2.75 kills per set with 162 total kills for head coach Thanh Pham. The freshman standout is the second Tommie to receive a Summit League individual award in program history.
South Dakota’s Kamryn Farris was named the Defensive Player of the Year for the second season in a row. The Coyotes’ defensive specialist is the fourth USD player to receive the award. The senior led the league in digs per set (4.33) and total digs (273) in league action.
The Lansing, Kan. native has notched 20-plus digs in 11 total matches this season including a season-high 27-dig effort in a five-set win against Oral Roberts. Farris anchors a Coyote defense that held its opposition to a.168 hitting percentage in Summit action.
Six programs were represented on the All-Summit League First Team that was headlined by Zgonc, Farris and Kealy. Kealy and Tommie teammates Tezra Rudzitis (218 kills/ 3.369 kps/.343 hitting) and Megan Wetter (50 blocks/ 0.85 bps/ .276 hitting/ 165 kills) gave UST back-to-back seasons with three members on the first team.
South Dakota had two first-team honorees, while North Dakota, North Dakota State, and Omaha each had one.
Joining Zgonc on the first team from SDSU was Sydni Schetnan (86 blocks/ 1.43 bps/.355 hitting), Rylee Martin (605 assists/10.61 aps/ 150 digs/ 2.63 dps), and Madison Burr (75 blocks/ 1.25 bps/ 154 kills/ 2.57 kps) while Lauren Medeck(153 kills/3.64 kps/4.05 pps) joined Farris from the Coyotes.
The Mavericks were represented by Kali Jurgensmeier (3.44 kps/ 213 kills/58 blocks/0.94 bps) who landed on the all-league team for the second straight year. North Dakota's Paige Barber (4.11 kps/4.60 pps/234 kills), and North Dakota State's Lauren Jansen (185 kills/3.14 kps/130 digs/3.75 pps) rounded out the squad.
This year’s All-League Second Team accolades went to Denver's Ava Reynolds (3.25 kps/ 185 kills,) and Genevieve Lewis (142 kills/2.58 kps), NDSU’s Arianna Blohm (123 kills/ 2.08 kps/ 55 blocks/ 0.93 bps), Omaha’s Emily Huss (107 blocks/1.75 bps), Oral Roberts’ Cortnee Smith (169 kills/ 3.02 kps/ 3.21 pps) and a trio of Coyotes, including Avery Van Hook (9.84 aps/ 620 assists), Morgan Bode (.278 hitting/1.05 bps/66 blocks) and Amanda Loschen (.347 hitting/ 0.87 bps/ 55 blocks).
Joining Schmidt on the All-Freshman Team was Denver’s Izabela Molina (.396 hitting /32 blocks/ 0.89 bps), and Madison Winkler (227 digs/ 3.98 dps), NDSU’s Rya Borer (226 digs kills/ 3.96 dps) Omaha’s Faith Venable (182 kills/2.98 kps/ 29 aces/ 0.48 aps), South Dakota’s Ava Ball (154 kills /2.52 kps) and South Dakota State’s Hannah Klein ( 2.38 kps/143 kills).
Six of the league's nine teams will be in Brookings Sunday through Tuesday for The Summit League Volleyball Championship at First Bank & Trust Arena. The action starts Sunday at 3 p.m. CT when No. 3 St. Thomas takes on No. 6 Omaha. All five matches will be streamed on the
Summit League Network with Brent Bowen and Sydney Andrews on the call.
Individual Awards
Player of the Year
Sylvie Zgonc, South Dakota State
Defensive Player of the Year
Kamryn Farris, South Dakota
Setter of the Year
Morgan Kealy, St. Thomas
Freshman of the Year
Anya Schmidt, St. Thomas
Coach of the Year
Dan Georgalas, South Dakota State
2025 All-Summit League Volleyball Teams
First Team
Paige Barber, North Dakota, OH
Madison Burr, South Dakota State, MB
Kamryn Farris, South Dakota, DS
Lauren Jansen, North Dakota State, OH
Kali Jurgensmeier, Omaha, OH
Morgan Kealy, St. Thomas, S
Rylee Martin, South Dakota State, S
Lauren Medeck, South Dakota, OH
Tezra Rudzitis, St. Thomas, RS
Sydni Schetnan, South Dakota State, MB
Megan Wetter, St. Thomas, MB
Sylvie Zgonc, South Dakota State, OH
Second Team
Morgan Bode, South Dakota, MB
Arianna Blohm, North Dakota State, MB
Avery Van Hook, South Dakota, S
Emily Huss, Omaha, MB
Genevieve Lewis, Denver, O
Amanda Loschen, South Dakota, MB
Ava Reynolds, Denver, OH
Cortnee Smith, Oral Roberts, OH/RS
Freshman Team
Ava Ball, South Dakota, OH
Rya Borer, North Dakota State, DS
Hannah Klein, South Dakota State, OH
Izabela Molina, Denver, MB
Anya Schmidt, St. Thomas, OH
Faith Venable, Omaha, OH
Madison Winkler, Denver, DS/L
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