REGION 1

Region 1 Player of the Year: Sophia Lindus, Wesleyan University (CT), OH, Fr.
Region 1 Freshman of the Year: Sophia Lindus, Wesleyan University (CT), OH
Region 1 Coach of the Year: Ben Somera, Wesleyan University (CT)

REGION 2

Region 2 Player of the Year: Consecrata Rozario, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MB, Jr.
Region 2 Freshman of the Year: Abby Hunt, Smith College, OH
Region 2 Coach of the Year: Tim Byram, Endicott College

REGION 3

Region 3 Player of the Year: Aleka Darko, Ithaca College, MB, So.
Region 3 Freshman of the Year: Emma Reilly, SUNY Cortland, MB
Region 3 Coach of the Year: Johan Dulfer, Ithaca College

REGION 4

Region 4 Player of the Year: Haley Holz, New York University, OH, Sr.
Region 4 Freshman of the Year: Abby Weise, DeSales University, OH
Region 4 Coach of the Year: Andrew Brown, New York University

REGION 5

Region 5 Player of the Year: Mackenzie Coley, Juniata College, MH, So.
Region 5 Freshman of the Year: Simone Adam, Johns Hopkins, OH
Region 5 Coach of the Year: Heather Pavlik, Juniata College

REGION 6

Region 6 Player of the Year: Emily Rapach, S, Berry College, Sr.
Region 6 Freshman of the Year: Alyssa Dozier, MB, Christopher Newport University
Region 6 Coaches of the Year: Alex Hinsey, University of Mary Washington, and Barry Rymer, Salem College

REGION 7

Region 7 Player of the Year: Heidi Westra, Calvin University, R, Sr.
Region 7 Freshman of the Year: Lauren Lee, Hope College, S
Region 7 Coach of the Year: Amber Warners, Calvin University

REGION 8

Region 8 Player of the Year: Adriana Rodriguez, North Park University, OH, So.
Region 8 Freshman of the Year: Sam Buckley, Washington University-St. Louis, S
Region 8 Coach of the Year: Jon Ellmann, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

REGION 9

Region 9 Player of the Year: Marylyn Schroyer, University of Northwestern-St. Paul, L, Sr.
Region 9 Freshman of the Year: Maddy Maahs, Coe College, S
Region 9 Coach of the Year: Beth Wilmeth, University of Northwestern-St. Paul

REGION 10

Region 10 Player of the Year: Jenna Holmes, OH, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Jr.
Region 10 Freshman of the Year: Mya Ray, OH, University of La Verne
Region 10 Coach of the Year: Kurt Vlasich, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

2022 AVCA DIVISION III REGION COACHES OF THE YEAR

The following coaches have been selected by their regions as AVCA Region Coaches of the Year. Each of the honorees can be considered for the AVCA National Coach of the Year. The awards will be officially presented at the Jostens Coaches Honors Luncheon in Omaha, Nebraska, on Thursday, Dec. 15 at the 2022 AVCA Convention.

REGION 1 COACH OF THE YEAR

Ben Somera, Wesleyan University (CT)
2022 Record (as of Nov. 8): 23-3
The Cardinals have been on a roll since Somera took over eight years ago. The team is making its fifth-straight NCAA Championship appearance this year after going 23-3 during the regular season. That win total is the school’s highest since the 2001 team went 30-7. Wesleyan’s offense has been impressive throughout 2022, as its hitting percentage of .255 is nearly double what opponents hit (.130).

REGION 2 COACH OF THE YEAR

Tim Byrum, Endicott College
2022 Record (as of Nov. 8): 22-8
Endicott claimed its third-straight Commonwealth Coast Conference title last weekend and gave Byram, who is in his 23rd season at the school, his 475th career victory. The 2022 Gulls had a record six players on the all-conference honors, and this is the fifth time in the in the past six seasons that they have advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

REGION 3 COACH OF THE YEAR

Johan Dulfer, Ithaca College
2022 Record (as of Nov. 8): 24-4
After capturing the program’s first-ever Liberty League Championship and its first league title since 2017, Dulfer has his team back in NCAA postseason play for the fourth time in the past five seasons. The Bombers played a tough non-conference slate this year, which included wins over six teams that made the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Recently, Dulfer earned his 400th career victory as a head coach.

REGION 4 COACH OF THE YEAR

Andrew Brown, New York University
2022 Record (as of Nov. 8): 25-6
Brown took over as NYU’s head volleyball coach in 2018, and his teams have reached NCAA postseason play each year, won more than 75 percent of their matches, and recorded 103 wins. The Violets, who captured their second-straight UAA regular season title, have faced a tough schedule again this year, one that has included eight matches against teams ranked in the AVCA poll.

REGION 5 COACH OF THE YEAR

Heather Pavlik, Juniata College
2022 Record (as of Nov. 8): 28-1 
Pavlik, who is in her 11th season at Juniata, has enjoyed another banner year, which included her earning her 250th win at the school. The 2022 Eagles are 28-1 after capturing the Juniata’s 15th-straight Landmark Conference championship last weekend. Her squad enters NCAA Regional play on a 21-match winning streak and, during that stretch, it has dropped only six sets.

REGION 6 COACHES OF THE YEAR

Alex Hinsey, University of Mary Washington
2022 Record (as of Nov. 8): 24-7
Hinsey has Mary Washington back in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in program history, and the first time since he took over in 2019. The 2022 Eagles earned the Coast to Coast Conference Tournament title last weekend, and they head into NCAA regional play this week having won 10 of their last 12 matches.
Barry Rymer, Salem College
2022 Record (as of Nov. 8): 21-10
What a difference a year makes! Salem finished 1-23 in 2021, and Rymer has the piloted the Spirits to the biggest turnaround in program and USA South Conference history by finishing 21-10 this season. After being picked to finish ninth in the preseason conference poll, Rymer’s squad went 12-6 in league action, which resulted in the most conference wins in program history.

REGION 7 COACH OF THE YEAR

Amber Warners, Calvin University
2022 Record (as of Nov. 8): 25-3
Warners and Calvin have been a model of success. Now in her 21st year as the Knights’ head coach, Warners picks up her seventh AVCA regional coach of the year honor, and she has been the national coach of the year four times. Her 2022 team extended the school’s string of NCAA Championship appearances to 18 straight years and is riding a 17-match winning streak into regional play.

REGION 8 COACH OF THE YEAR

Jon Ellmann, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
2022 Record (as of Nov. 8): 30-5
Ellmann’s sixth season at Wisconsin-Oshkosh has been a memorable one. His team heads into the regional with a 30-5 record, 11 more wins than the 2021 team had, and they’ve done it in the rugged WIAC, a league which has had four teams ranked in the AVCA poll most of the year. The Cardinals have been a well-balanced squad in 2022, and they currently rank in in the top three nationally in team assists, digs, kills, and total attacks.

REGION 9 COACH OF THE YEAR

Beth Wilmeth, University of Northwestern-St. Paul
2022 Record (as of Nov. 8): 30-2
After a highly successful 2021 season, in which Wilmeth’s team set the program record for winning percentage (.881), the 2022 Eagles are soaring again. The veteran coach has guided her team to another 30-victory season, one that has included the 15-match winning streak they bring into NCAA Championship play. Against conference opponents, the Eagles were 16-0 and won all 48 sets.

REGION 10 COACH OF THE YEAR

Kurt Vlasich, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
2022 Record (as of Nov. 8): 28-0
It has been an impressive 11-year run since Vlasich took over as the Athenas’ head coach, especially lately. His teams have won 144 matches the past five seasons, and this year team brings a 28-0 record into NCAA Tournament play, which marks the first time in school history a CMS squad has gone through the regular season undefeated.