KINGSPORT, Tenn. — St. Andrews University libero Karina Lozada was named the Appalachian Athletic Conference Libero of the Year, and sophomore Kandon Luquer was named to the conference’s Champions of Character team.
Lozada finished the 2019 season with 719 digs in 123 sets. She ranked sixth in the NAIA in total digs. Throughout her three seasons at SAU, Lozada has collected 1,704 digs and is on track to hit 2,000 in her senior season.
“This award is very much deserved,” head coach Holly Mandeville said. “Karina has always been a huge staple in our defense year after year. I look forward to seeing her hard work and dedication pay off in her senior season.”
Luquer, a Laurinburg native and Scotland High graduate, earned a spot on the Champions of Character team by displaying the NAIA’s core values: integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership.
Lady Braves earn All-Conference honors
EVANS, Ga. – UNC-Pembroke Senior Katy Ryan earned All-Peach Belt Conference accolades for the second-straight year, while forward Alexis Pittman and midfielder Paula Valbuena picked up the honor for the first time, at the annual Peach Belt Conference Awards banquet on Thursday evening.
The Black & Gold has now claimed 46 all-conference awards over the span of the 19-year history of the program. Thursday’s announcement marked the 12th-straight year that multiple players have been decorated with the honor.
Pittman, a junior from Greensboro, has played and started in 16 games for the Black & Gold this season and leads the team with 20 points on eight goals and four assists. Pittman has scored at least at least one point (goal or assist) in 11 outings, including the game-winning scores against Lander, Georgia College and Young Harris. She also tallied a pair of goals in a league win over Albany State.
A native of Cape Carteret, Ryan has helped anchor a defense that has registered 10 shutouts this season and a 0.71 goals against average. A defensive stalwart by trade, Ryan netted a goal and turned in the game-winning assist against then-nationally-ranked Columbus State, and also scored UNCP’s lone goal in an overtime loss to nationally-ranked Flagler.
A product of Bogota, Columbia, Valbuena has played and started in 17 games this year and has tallied three goals, including two game-winners, as well as a team-best (3rd PBC) six assists. She ranks second on the team in both shots (51) and shots on goal (24), and accounted for game-winning goals in consecutive games with North Greenville and Clayton State.
The Braves will gather as a team at an undisclosed location for Sunday evening’s NCAA Tournament Selection Show in hopes of an attaining an at-large berth. That program is scheduled to air on NCAA.com on Sunday evening at 10 p.m.
