Beach Volleyball 4/26/2023 12:00:00 PM

Ferary Sisters Named 2023 Sun Belt Conference Pair of the Year

ATLANTA— No. 14-ranked Georgia State beach volleyball first-flight pair Angel Ferary and Bella Ferary have been named the Sun Belt Conference's Beach Volleyball Pair of the Year, as announced by the league on Wednesday. Teaming for 30 dual matches with 28 appearances at the top flight and two appearances at the second flight for the spring, the duo has posted a 17-13 record while downing eight nationally ranked opponents in 2023.

Highlighting the Ferary sisters' performance with the Sandy Panthers for the 2023 season were back-to-back victories facing top-flight pair Megan Kraft and Delaynie Maple of No. 3 USC, as well as Maggie Boyd and Lexi Denaburg of No. 2 UCLA. The duo's win over USC's Kraft and Maple marked the first and only loss to date for the No. 3-ranked Trojans' top pair in 2023.

The junior natives of Marietta, Ga. were named All-Sun Belt First-Team for the 2023 season to add to the Pair of the Year honors.

Joining the Ferary duo for the conference's list of accolades released on Wednesday, Sandy Panthers' head coach Beth Van Fleet and junior Lila Bordis each received additional individual honors for the 2023 season. Van Fleet was honored as the 2023 SBC Coach of the Year, while Bordis earned the Sun Belt's Newcomer of the Year award.

Bordis was also named All-Sun Belt Second-Team for the 2023 season after pairing alongside teammate Yasmin Kuck for every dual and charting 17 total victories at the second and third flights for GSU. Fifth-year Maddy Delmonte and sophomore Ayla Johnson rounded out the team's 2023 honorees, as the pair received All-Sun Belt Second-Team honors after notching 19 victories at the fourth and fifth flights and earning SBC Pair of the Week honors in consecutive weeks to close the regular season.

No. 14 GSU opens play at the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Beach Volleyball Championship on April 27. The top-seeded Sandy Panthers will face No. 8-seeded Stephen F. Austin for the first round of tournament play.

Dual matches will be contested at the John Hunt Park Sand Volleyball Complex in Huntsville, Ala. and broadcast live on ESPN+. Live scoring will be available for fans.

Follow Georgia State beach volleyball on social media (@GSUBeachVb) for continued updates as the Sandy Panthers enter the postseason.

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Sun Belt Announces 2023 Beach Volleyball Awards

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Georgia State's Angel Ferary and Bella Ferary were named the Sun Belt Pair of the Year to highlight the 2023 Sun Belt Beach Volleyball Awards and All-Conference Teams, announced Wednesday.

Angel and Bella Ferary claimed the league's top honors as the 2023 Sun Belt Pair of the Year. They have paired for a 17-13 record in 2023 with 28 appearances at the top flight and two appearances at the second flight for No. 14 Georgia State. The pair has defeated eight nationally ranked opponents at the top court this spring. Highlights of their season include downing top-flight pair Megan Kraft and Delaynie Maple of No. 3 USC and Maggie Boyd and Lexi Denaburg of No. 2 UCLA.

UNCW's Gabby LaPata is the 2023 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year. The Charlotte, N.C., native has paired with junior Sadie Sharkey this season to post a 16-11 record on the season, including a 5-5 mark against Sun Belt Conference opponents. LaPata and Sharkey have played all 27 matches at the top spot for the Seahawks.

Georgia State junior Lila Bordis, a transfer from Arizona State, is the 2023 Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year. She has notched a total of 17 victories at the second and third flights for Georgia State this spring. Pairing with sixth-year graduate student Yasmin Kuck for every outing, the Thibodaux, La., native has posted a 17-15 overall record that has included six wins over nationally ranked opponents.

Georgia State's Beth Van Fleet earned the Sun Belt's 2023 Coach of the Year accolade after guiding No. 14 Georgia State to 16 wins for the 2023 season. The Sandy Panthers have faced 21 nationally ranked opponents over the course of their 32-match regular-season slate. Georgia State has downed six nationally ranked foes this spring and has been ranked in the top-15 nationally the entire season. Van Fleet has coached three different Sandy Panthers' pairs to a total of four Sun Belt Conference Pair of the Week accolades.

The 2023 Sun Belt Conference Beach Volleyball Championship will take place April 27-29 at the John Hunt Sand Volleyball Complex in Huntsville, Ala.

2023 Sun Belt Beach Volleyball Awards

Pair of the Year: Angel Ferary / Bella Ferary, Georgia State
Freshman of the Year: Gabby LaPata, UNCW
Newcomer of the Year: Lila Bordis, Georgia State
Coach of the Year: Beth Van Fleet, Georgia State

All-Sun Belt Conference

First Team
Angel Ferary / Bella Ferary, Georgia State
Gabi Bailey / Kyra Thompson, College of Charleston
Sarlota Svobodova / Madie Lichty, Coastal Carolina
Bri Hagerty / Ashley Thompson, UNCW
Vanessa Hurnikova / Ola Chudzik, Southern Miss

Second Team
Maria Zweig / Ella Reames, College of Charleston
Lila Bordis / Yasmin Kuck, Georgia State
Madison Allred / Raychel Ehlers, Coastal Carolina
Maddy Delmonte / Ayla Johnson, Georgia State
Avery Reynolds / Claire Williamson, ULM
Gabby LaPata / Sadie Sharkey, UNCW
Julia Blazek / Kaitlyn Nowak, ULM

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Players Mentioned

#14 Maddy Delmonte: 5' 10"; Sophomore

#1 Angel Ferary: 5' 4"; Junior

#8 Ayla Johnson: 5' 10"; Sophomore

#10 Yasmin Kuck: 5' 11"; Graduate Student

#12 Bella Ferary: 5' 4"; Junior

#11 Lila Bordis: 5' 8"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#14 Maddy Delmonte
: 5' 10"; Sophomore

#1 Angel Ferary
: 5' 4"; Junior

#8 Ayla Johnson
: 5' 10"; Sophomore

#10 Yasmin Kuck
: 5' 11"; Graduate Student

#12 Bella Ferary
: 5' 4"; Junior

#11 Lila Bordis
: 5' 8"; Junior