Five Gators Earn All-Region Honors: Kennedy Martin Southeast Region Player of the Year, Jaela Auguste Freshman of the Year
Tuesday, December 10, 2024 | Volleyball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The American Volleyball Coaches Association announced on Tuesday that five Florida volleyball players earned All-Southeast Region honors. Kennedy Martin becomes the first Gator to be named the region's Player of the Year, while Jaela Auguste claimed the program's sixth Freshman of the Year honor.
Martin collected her second-career All-Region team accolade, with Elli McKissock and Auguste joining the sophomore on the list. Isabel Martin and Taylor Parks were tabbed to the AVCA All-Southeast Region Honorable Mention Team.
Kennedy Martin received her first player of the year award after averaging a conference-leading 6.36 points per set and 5.66 kills per set average, which rank first and second in the nation, respectively. She has recorded double-digit kills in every match played wearing the orange and Blue (52 matches) and has recorded 30+ kills in five matches this season. Her most recent was last Saturday against No. 3 seed Kansas, where she finished with 33 kills to add to her program record as well as record the most kills during an NCAA Tournament match by a Gator. She finished with a career-high 35.5 points as well in the five-set win. Additionally, the Fort Mill, SC native is one of 14 players to be named a semifinalist for AVCA Division I Player of the Year.
Auguste adds to her SEC Freshman of the Year award that she awarded on Dec 1st. The middle blocker is averaging a .404 hitting clip to rank 16th in the nation, while having the league's best hitting percentage from a freshman. Auguste was named SEC Co-Freshman of the week on Nov. 11 and leads the Florida block. The Spring, TX. native averages 1.07 blocks per set and has accumulated 14 matches with five or more blocks during her rookie campaign. Auguste has also swung above .400 on 10+ attempts in 11 matches this season.
Elli McKissock, who earned All-Region honors in 2021, has been a pivotal member of Florida's backrow defense. The Windermere, Fla. native averages 4.14 digs per set this season and has eclipsed double-digit digs 25 times this season. She started and played in 121-consecutive matches as the Gators libero jersey and sits only four digs away of having the most career-digs in program history, while ranking eighth for career aces (144) and 21st for career assists (541).
Isabel Martin has been a key part to Florida's offense this season, having 16 matches this season in double figure in kills with three double-doubles. In NCAA tournament play, she's averaging 3.13 kills per set with a .363 hitting clip. Martin was a All-region First Team selection last season at UNLV as well as earned AVCA All-American Honorable Mention.
Taylor Parks tallies her first AVCA nomination after earning four SEC Freshman of the Week awards during her first season in the Orange and Blue. The Clearwater, Fla. native has recorded four double-double matches, while leading the Gators in assists 21 times and nine in aces. She is averaging 8.26 assists per set to help aid the Florida offense to a .295 hitting average, which ranks seventh in the nation and first in the SEC. Additionally, Parks is averaging 1.42 digs per set and 0.38 aces per set on the season.
Under Coach Wise, Florida has earned 99 All-Region awards. She has also been awarded AVCA's Coaching of the Year honors eight times in her tenure as well as a three-time AVCA National Coach of the Year. The Gators have won at least 20 matches in 33 of 34 seasons under the direction of Wise.
The Gators continue play in the NCAA Tournament as they head to Louisville, KY on Thursday to take on the No. 2-seeded Stanford Cardinal in the Regional Semifinal. First serve is slated for 7:00 p.m. ET inside Freedom Hall. The match is air live on ESPN2 as well as Fans can follow @GatorsVB on socials for match updates or via live stats, which can be found on volleyball's schedule page on FloridaGators.com.
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Martin collected her second-career All-Region team accolade, with Elli McKissock and Auguste joining the sophomore on the list. Isabel Martin and Taylor Parks were tabbed to the AVCA All-Southeast Region Honorable Mention Team.
Kennedy Martin received her first player of the year award after averaging a conference-leading 6.36 points per set and 5.66 kills per set average, which rank first and second in the nation, respectively. She has recorded double-digit kills in every match played wearing the orange and Blue (52 matches) and has recorded 30+ kills in five matches this season. Her most recent was last Saturday against No. 3 seed Kansas, where she finished with 33 kills to add to her program record as well as record the most kills during an NCAA Tournament match by a Gator. She finished with a career-high 35.5 points as well in the five-set win. Additionally, the Fort Mill, SC native is one of 14 players to be named a semifinalist for AVCA Division I Player of the Year.
Deserved it.
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) December 10, 2024
Kennedy Martin takes home AVCA All-Southeast Region Player of the Year!#GoGators pic.twitter.com/uUfaUza8vx
Auguste adds to her SEC Freshman of the Year award that she awarded on Dec 1st. The middle blocker is averaging a .404 hitting clip to rank 16th in the nation, while having the league's best hitting percentage from a freshman. Auguste was named SEC Co-Freshman of the week on Nov. 11 and leads the Florida block. The Spring, TX. native averages 1.07 blocks per set and has accumulated 14 matches with five or more blocks during her rookie campaign. Auguste has also swung above .400 on 10+ attempts in 11 matches this season.
THAT GIRL 💪
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) December 10, 2024
Jaela Auguste receives AVCA Southeast Region Freshman of the Year!#GoGators pic.twitter.com/INA1Bkezyl
Elli McKissock, who earned All-Region honors in 2021, has been a pivotal member of Florida's backrow defense. The Windermere, Fla. native averages 4.14 digs per set this season and has eclipsed double-digit digs 25 times this season. She started and played in 121-consecutive matches as the Gators libero jersey and sits only four digs away of having the most career-digs in program history, while ranking eighth for career aces (144) and 21st for career assists (541).
Isabel Martin has been a key part to Florida's offense this season, having 16 matches this season in double figure in kills with three double-doubles. In NCAA tournament play, she's averaging 3.13 kills per set with a .363 hitting clip. Martin was a All-region First Team selection last season at UNLV as well as earned AVCA All-American Honorable Mention.
Taylor Parks tallies her first AVCA nomination after earning four SEC Freshman of the Week awards during her first season in the Orange and Blue. The Clearwater, Fla. native has recorded four double-double matches, while leading the Gators in assists 21 times and nine in aces. She is averaging 8.26 assists per set to help aid the Florida offense to a .295 hitting average, which ranks seventh in the nation and first in the SEC. Additionally, Parks is averaging 1.42 digs per set and 0.38 aces per set on the season.
ALL-REGION GATORS 🐊
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) December 10, 2024
Jaela Auguste, Kennedy Martin, and Elli McKissock earn AVCA All-Southeast Region Team, while Isabel Martin and Taylor Parks earn honorable mention!#GoGators pic.twitter.com/4rP4QHvUeA
Under Coach Wise, Florida has earned 99 All-Region awards. She has also been awarded AVCA's Coaching of the Year honors eight times in her tenure as well as a three-time AVCA National Coach of the Year. The Gators have won at least 20 matches in 33 of 34 seasons under the direction of Wise.
The Gators continue play in the NCAA Tournament as they head to Louisville, KY on Thursday to take on the No. 2-seeded Stanford Cardinal in the Regional Semifinal. First serve is slated for 7:00 p.m. ET inside Freedom Hall. The match is air live on ESPN2 as well as Fans can follow @GatorsVB on socials for match updates or via live stats, which can be found on volleyball's schedule page on FloridaGators.com.
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