Volleyball sets program records at Peach Belt Conference banquet:
The Lander volleyball team earned two individual awards and four all-conference selections, both program records, in an historic night at the Peach Belt Conference Volleyball Awards Banquet at the American Legion Post 20 building on Friday night. Kaitlyn Krafka was named the conference’s Freshman of the Year, while Madilyn Reed earned Setter of the Year honors. Additionally, Krafka was named a first-team all-conference selection. The Bearcats placed Reed, Hannah Hritz and Hanna McManus on the all-conference second-team.
Krafka, Lander’s third Freshman of the Year in program history and first since 2012, leads the conference with 419 kills, 4.28 kills per set, 457.0 points and 1,200 attack. The Kyle, Texas, native was named the PBC Player of the Week twice this season, becoming Lander’s first multi-POTW award winner in a single season ever. Krafka recorded 15 double-doubles on the season and ranks 15th nationally in kills per set. She joins Tarryn Angermeier and Halle Dotson as Lander’s third first-team selection in the past four seasons.
Reed became the first PBC Setter of the Year in Lander history after leading the conference with 1,050 assists and 10.71 assists per set. A native of Graniteville, S.C., the freshman won three PBC weekly honors this season, setting a program record. Reed registered 15 double-doubles in the regular season and also ranks in the top-10 in the league in digs, service aces and service aces per set.
Hritz enters the PBC Tournament with 312.0 points on 762 total attacks. A sophomore from Sarasota, Fla., she owns a .247 hitting percentage and has eight solo blocks on the year. McManus leads the Bearcats with 581 digs, good for 5.93 per set. The junior from Boiling Springs, S.C., has registered 25 service aces on the year, averaging 0.26 per set.
Second-seeded Lander will face either third-seeded Augusta or sixth-seeded Francis Marion at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday night in the semifinals of the PBC Tournament at Finis Horne Arena.
