Three Tigers Garner 2015 SEC Volleyball Postseason Honors
11/25/2015 8:56:00 AM | Volleyball
Kan (All-SEC), Larson (All-SEC) and Munlyn (All-SEC, SEC Freshman of the Year) all awarded for outstanding seasons
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Junior Carly Kan (Honolulu, Hawaii), redshirt sophomore Kira Larson (Fargo, N.D.) and freshman Alyssa Munlyn (Suwanee, Ga.) were honored Wednesday by the Southeastern Conference office for their exceptional 2015 campaigns.
Kan, Larson and Munlyn were each named to the 2015 All-SEC Team. Munlyn was also named to the 2015 All-Freshman Team as well as garnering 2015 SEC Freshman of the Year honors.
"I'm very proud of these three as they're well deserved honors," head coach Wayne Kreklow said. "Carly, Kira and Alyssa have all had great seasons and I'm glad that it's being recognized by the other SEC coaches. They've worked very hard both on and off the court. It also speaks volumes about the rest of the team as these individual awards don't take place in a vacuum – great individual performances require great team performances. I'm very proud of our entire team."
Wednesday's recognition is Kan's third career honor from the SEC. The Mizzou OH previously claimed All-SEC and Freshman of the Year honors in 2013. This season, Kan has once again proven herself as one of the SEC's top overall players.
Currently, Kan's 452 kills and 514.5 points rank second in the conference. Additionally, her 4.00 kills per set and 4.55 points per set ranks third-highest in the SEC. Kan has tallied eight 20-plus kill matches and 16 double-doubles (second-most in SEC) this season.
The Honolulu native opened the Tigers' 2015 season with four consecutive Tournament MVP honors, keying the team's 12-0 start to the year. During her impressive opening stretch, Kan earned SEC Player of the Week honors on Sept. 14 and garnered SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week recognition on Sept. 21.
"I'm really honored to have received this award," Kan said. "I couldn't have done it without all of my teammates amazing contributions this season."
Larson entered the 2015 campaign as one of six newcomers and quickly solidified herself as one of the Tigers' top performers. The Mizzou RS-MB was a model of consistency throughout the year, posting double-digit points in 22 of 29 matches so far. Larson recorded 10-plus kills 12 times while hitting better than .300 in 14 matches.
The Fargo native reset career highs in every statistical category in 2015. Larson posted 15 kills three different times, hit better than .400 on nine different occasions and tallied a season-high 19.5 points on Oct. 28. Larson joins Kan as Tigers to be named to all four All-Tournament Teams this season.
"I'm very honored and grateful to receive this award," Larson said. "It means so much to me to be recognized in such a competitive conference like the SEC. I truly believe I couldn't have done it without the support of my teammates and coaches."
Munlyn's trio of SEC awards was to no surprise for Tigers fans as she put together one of the best first-year campaigns in Mizzou Volleyball history. The Mizzou MB is the third individual in program history to garner Freshman of the Year honors. Munlyn joins Jessica Vander Kooi (2003 Big 12 Freshman of the Year) and Kan (2013 SEC Freshman of the Year) on the exclusive list.
Overall this season, Munlyn places in both the top-10 in conference hitting percentage (sixth / .363) and blocks per set (fifth / 1.14). Since Mizzou began its SEC schedule, Munlyn has taken her game to another level, recording 126 kills on .417 hitting with 76 total blocks (1.21 per set).
In SEC matches, Munlyn's .417 hitting percentage ranks third in the conference while her 1.21 blocks per set ranks tied for fifth. The Suwanee native's 129 total blocks this season ranks seventh-most in a single-season in program history. Additionally, her 1.14 blocks per set ranks eighth-highest in a single-season in Tiger history.
Munlyn has been the recipient of the past two SEC Freshman of the Week honors (Nov. 9-15 / Nov. 16-22). Overall in 2015, she recorded three SEC Freshman of the Week accolades, establishing the most weekly first-year honors since former First-Team All-American and U.S. National Team setter Molly Kreklow tallied five Big 12 Newcomer of the Week awards in 2010.
"I'm so blessed and grateful to have received both of these awards," Munlyn said. "It means everything to me and I just want to thank everyone who has helped me get to where I am today. I couldn't have asked for a better freshman year."
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