Home Sports Four UW volleyballers named to American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Region team

Four UW volleyballers named to American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Region team

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(L-r) Anna Smrek, Devyn Robinson, Carter Booth and Sarah Franklin (Photo: UW Athletics)

Four University of Wisconsin volleyball players have been named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Region team, the organization announced on Tuesday.

Senior Sarah Franklin was named Northeast All-Region Player of the Year and head coach Kelly Sheffield was named Co-Coach of the Year. Anna Smrek, Carter Booth, and Devyn Robinson round out the list of Badgers named to the All-Region team.

This is the sixth AVCA Northeast Coach of the Year award for Sheffield, who has led the Badgers to 11-straight NCAA Sweet 16-or-better tournament appearances, and wrapped up the regular season with a 26-3, 17-3 (B1G) record.

Booth and Smrek joined Franklin on the All-Big Ten first team announced last week while senior Devyn Robinson earned second-team All-Big Ten honors.

Franklin, a 6-foot-4 outside hitter, was recently named Big Ten Player of the Year and unanimous first-team All-Big Ten. She leads the team and ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 4.17 kills, racking up 413 kills and double-figure kills in 23 of 29 matches.

Booth, a sophomore 6-foot-7 middle blocker, leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth nationally with 1.55 blocks per set while also leading the conference and ranking fourth in the NCAA with a .440 hitting percentage. She is a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.

Smrek, a 6-foot-9 right-side hitter, ranks second on the team with 2.62 kills per set, putting away double-figure kills in 10 matches.

Robinson ranks third on the team with 2.58 kills per set, tallying double-figure kills in 10 matches. The 6-foot-2 right-side hitter tied her career high with 21 kills vs. Arkansas in late August. Robinson had previously earned AVCA All-Region awards in 2020 and 2022.

The Badgers have advanced to NCAA Regional play for the 11th-straight season, hosting action in the UW Field House for the third-straight season. The Badgers open regional play on Thursday taking on No. 14 Penn State (23-8) at 6 p.m. live on ESPN2.