INDIANAPOLIS --- Tusculum College's Caitlyn Dean continues to lead the nation in total digs and digs per set according to next to last edition of the 2012 NCAA Division II volleyball statistics.
The Pioneers just completed a magical run in the NCAA postseason as Tusculum defeated Lincoln Memorial and top-seed Armstrong to advance to the Southeast Region title match. TC ended its season with a 24-8 overall record and played in the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in program history.
Dean, a junior libero/defensive specialist from Fort Wayne, Ind., has established a pair of DII single-season records this year. Her 932 total digs are a new national record (25-point scoring format), smashing the previous mark of 842, which Dean posted during her 2010 freshman campaign.
Dean leads all NCAA divisions with her 7.77 digs per set average, which is a new NCAA Division II record, breaking the previous-best of 7.23 posted by Kristen Hager of West Virginia State in 2008.
The two-time All-America First Team honoree became the school's all-time digs leader earlier this season and currently has 2,461 to her credit, which are currently second in South Atlantic Conference history and 20th in NCAA II history. She will enter next season needing 89 digs for the conference record and 646 to become the NCAA's all-time leader.
As a team, the Pioneers are third in the nation in digs per set, averaging 21.32 per frame. TC is also 40th in won-loss percentage (.750), 55th in kills per set (12.98 kps), 70th in assists (11.89 apg) and 95th in hitting percentage (.198).
Junior setter Ashley Sarmiento is first in the conference and 80th in the nation in assists per set, dishing out 9.36 helpers per set this season. The two-time All-Region selection finished 2012 with 1086 assists as she has recorded over 1,000 in each of her Tusculum campaigns. The Dayton, Ohio native has recorded 3,453 career digs at Tusculum, which are second in school history.
Dean and Sarmiento were both named to the All-SAC Team and NCAA Southeast Region All-Tournament Team.
Sarmiento and Dean have also shined in the classroom as both were named to the Capital One Academic All-District Team. Sarmiento was also the 2012 recipient of the SAC Scholar Athlete Award for Volleyball.
The Pioneers posted program's seventh consecutive winning season and the fifth 20-win campaign in the last seven years. Tusculum has recorded 20 more wins on 21 occasions in the storied program's history.
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