ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Five Tusculum volleyball players received South Atlantic Conference honors, while TC head coach Michael Robinson was named the SAC Co-Coach of the Year for a second time in three seasons announced league officials Thursday.

Caitlyn Dean and Kassie Voelker earned All-SAC First Team honors, Ashley Sarmiento and Alyssa Raterman were named to the second team, while Danae Stauffer was tabbed to the SAC All-Freshman Team.

Robinson, who is in his fifth season with the Pioneers, has led Tusculum to a 20-6 record so far, including 14-4 in the league to finish second in the SAC standings for a second time in the last three seasons. TC has recorded five straight winning seasons under Robinson, including three 20-win campaigns. Earlier this year, Robinson recorded his 100th career victory in a 3-1 win at Carson-Newman on Oct. 30. His 103 wins at Tusculum are the second most in program history, while his .665 won-loss percentage (103-52) is fourth in the TC record book.

Dean, a junior libero/defensive specialist from Fort Wayne, Ind, (Northrop HS) earns All-SAC First Team for a third straight year, becoming the second three-time All-Conference honoree since the Pioneers joined the SAC in 1999 (Jill Lucas in 1999, 2000, 2001). Dean also becomes only the sixth 3-time All-Conference performer in the storied history of the program, joining Lucas, Carla Loyd, Brye Powers, Lori Foshee and April Carpenter.

The two-time All-America First Team selection leads all NCAA divisions in digs, averaging 7.74 per set, which is currently on pace to be a new NCAA Division II record (Kristen Hager, West Virginia State, 7.23 in 2008). Her 735 digs are the second most in a season at Tusculum and 110 off her NCAA II-record mark of 845 posted in her 2010 rookie campaign.

Dean's 2,264 career digs are already a school record and third most in SAC history. Her 7.07 career digs per set average is currently the best average of any player in NCAA II history, just ahead of Western Washington's Courtney Schneider, who averaged 7.00 digs per set from 2004-07. Dean has also been named to the Capital One Academic All-District 3 Volleyball Team.

Voelker, a junior middle-blocker from Morristown, Tenn. marks her first time on the All-Conference team. She is currently sixth in the league with her .303 hitting percentage, while leading the team in blocking with 0.72 bps (8th in SAC). The Morristown West High School graduate is averaging 2.39 kills and 0.99 digs per set, while accounting for 21 service aces, which are third on the team.

Raterman, a senior middle blocker from Urbana, Ohio, returns to the All-SAC team, after earning All-Conference First Team honors in 2010. Raterman leads the Pioneers with her .305 hitting percentage, which is fifth in the conference. The Urbana High School product is also 13th in the SAC with her 0.63 blocks per set, to go along with her 2.20 kills per set average.

The 2010 All-Southeast Region honoree is second in Tusculum history with her .307 career hitting percentage in her 105 matches and 378 sets played.

Sarmiento, a junior setter from Dayton, Ohio, earns her second All-Conference honor in the last three years. The Centerville High School alum leads the conference averaging 9.98 assists per set, including a 13.22 average in her last three matches to earn SAC Specialist of the Week honors. Sarmiento is also 12th in the conference in digs per set (3.29 dps) and has tallied 12 service aces, 34 blocks and 51 kills this season.

Sarmiento was honored earlier this week with the SAC Scholar Athlete of the Year Award, which recognizes athletic achievement, academic success, community service and leadership. She becomes the third player in program history to earn this prestigious honor.

In 2010, Sarmiento was named SAC and Southeast Region Freshman of the Year and was selected to the 2011 Capital One Academic All-America® Second Team. She is also two-time Capital One Academic All-District selection, including this season. Her 3,275 career assists are the second most in school history.

Stauffer rounds out this year's honorees as she becomes the eighth Pioneer to earn SAC All-Freshman honors. The outside hitter from Orrville, Ohio (Orrville HS) has played in 68 sets this season, while averaging 2.50 kills, 0.94 digs and 0.22 blocks per set. She has amassed a .155 hitting percentage, while totaling 170 kills, five aces, 64 digs and 15 blocks.

The SAC Volleyball Awards are selected by a vote of the league's head coaches.

Tusculum is in quest of its fourth straight NCAA Tournament berth as the Pioneers are riding a seven-match winning streak entering this weekend's Food Lion SAC Volleyball Championship in Brevard, N.C. The No. 2 seed Pioneers will face seventh-seed Mars Hill on Friday at 5 p.m. in a quarterfinal round match.

- SAC -

2012 All-South Atlantic Conference Volleyball Team
First Team
Anna Hilton, Wingate
Kaitlyn Whitmer, Catawba
Blaire Fowler, Lincoln Memorial
Samantha Parrish, Newberry
Haley Rhyne, Lenoir-Rhyne
Caitlyn Dean, Tusculum
Lexi Potter, Wingate
Kassie Voelker, Tusculum
Susie Murach, Wingate

Second Team
Ashley Sarmiento, Tusculum
Alyssa Raterman, Tusculum
Shelly Stumpff, Wingate
Marissa Wixson, Mars Hill
Grace Krauser, Wingate
Shannon Gillespie, Anderson
Jenny Young, Catawba

SAC All-Freshman Team
Shelly Stumpff, Wingate
Iris Brewer, Wingate
Danae Stauffer, Tusculum
Ashley Wells, Lenoir-Rhyne
Rachel Gallup, Catawba
Casey Mense, Lincoln Memorial

SAC Player of the Year: Anna Hilton, Wingate
SAC Freshman of the Year: Shelly Stumpff, Wingate
SAC Co-Coach of the Year: Michael Robinson, Tusculum
SAC Co-Coach of the Year: Shelton Collier, Wingate
SAC Scholar Athlete of the Year: Ashley Sarmiento, Tusculum