SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Southern Conference announced the annual postseason awards on Wednesday afternoon.  Makayla Bays was selected as the SoCon Player of the Year and Lindsey Devine earned her second consecutive and fifth career SoCon Coach of the Year honor.  Five individuals were selected to the All-SoCon teams, with the Buccaneers dominating the league in honors.
 
Makayla Bays was selected as the Southern Conference Player of the Year and earned a spot on the All-SoCon First Team roster following a standout sophomore season.  Bays, the Gate City, Va. native, totaled 391 kills, 38 aces, 241 digs, 30 total blocks and nine double-doubles through the 2025 regular season.  

The sophomore outside hitter was awarded the SoCon Offensive Player of the Week twice during the regular season and has boasted five matches with 20 or more kills and 13 matches with 15 or more.  Bays completed the regular season at second overall in kills (391 at 3.87/set), third overall in aces (38 at 0.38/set) and second overall in points (446 at 4.42/set) and accumulated 10 conference individual highs top 10 appearances.  In seven matches, she dished three or more aces while reaching double-digit digs in 11 matches.  She earned spots on two all-tournament teams during nonconference action and was named the MVP of the Hokie Classic.

In her career, Bays now owns over 572 kills, 26 assists, 57 aces, 415 digs and 44 total blocks.
 
Lindsey Devine was tabbed as the Southern Conference Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season, guiding the Bucs to a SoCon Regular Season title for the eighth time in program history and the fourth time under Devine, and the 19th 20-win season in program history.  Devine has collected five SoCon Coach of the Year accolades during her tenure at East Tennessee State.  

Throughout the 2025 season, the Bucs have secured multiple program records, from the best start to conference play in program history (13 matches) to the longest conference win streak in program history (13 matches) and tied the program record for longest win streak (16 matches).  The squad boasted the best conference record in program history at 15-1 and secured the No. 1 seed in the 2025 SoCon Volleyball Tournament.  

Under Devine in the regular season, the Bucs have totaled 1316 kills, 1233 assists, 170 aces, 1394 digs, 342 total blocks and 23 double-doubles.  The team averaged 13.03 kills/set, 12.21 assists/set, 1.68 aces/set, 2.29 blocks/set and 17.00 points/set while leading the league in the regular season in hitting percentage (.241), opponent hitting percentage (.173), assists (1233 at 12.21/set), kills (1316 at 13.03/set) and aces (170 at 1.68/set).
 
Whitley Rammel was selected to the All-SoCon First Team for the first time in her career after a dominate 2025 season.  Rammel, the Fort Recovery, Ohio native, accumulated 219 kills, a season-long .364 clip, 23 aces, 58 digs and 118 total blocks in the regular season. Her previous awards from the conference include a 2022 All-SoCon Freshman Team selection, a 2022 Defensive Player of the Week award and a 2025 Preseason All-SoCon selection.

The senior middle blocker led the team in total blocks with 118, helping the squad to rank third overall in the league with 231 total at 2.29 per set.  Rammel recorded her first career double-double in the five-set thriller against High Point, boasting 12 kills and 10 total blocks.  She started in every set of all 27 matches and 101 sets played by the Bucs in the 2025 campaign and reached three or more total blocks in 23 of 27 contests played.  Rammel collected eight matches with double-digit kills and 15 matches hitting .400 or higher.  In the SoCon, Rammel ranks second overall in hitting percentage (.364) and third overall in total blocks (118) and blocks per set (1.17), and owns two of the top individual single-game highs in blocks with 10 versus High Point and 10 at UNC Greensboro.

In her career, Rammel now owns 633 kills, 17 assists, 23 aces, 132 digs, 59 block solos and 252 block assists.  She reached 300 career blocks on November 8 at Furman.
 
Brianna Cantrell was selected to the All-SoCon Second Team for the second time in her career after a strong senior season.  Cantrell, the Appleton, Wisc. native, accumulated 246 kills, 11 assists, 20 aces, 212 digs and 53 total blocks in the regular season.  Her previous awards from the conference include a 2022 Rayna Taylor Freshman of the Year selection with 2022 Second Team All-SoCon and 2022 All-Freshman Team honors.

The senior outside hitter reached double-digit kills in eight matches and double-digit digs in six matches, tacking on three double-doubles this season to her career total of 17.  She hit a season-high .412 at The Citadel (7-0-17) and also reached .405 with 17 kills versus Furman.  Cantrell saw action in 99 of 101 sets and started in all 27 matches played by the Bucs this season, recording an ace in 15 of the matches.

In her career, Cantrell now owns 1045 kills, 46 assists, 91 aces, 885 digs and 154 total blocks.  She reached 1000 career kills on November 1 versus Western Carolina.
   
Bailey Gohlke was selected to the All-SoCon Freshman Team following the conclusion of the 2025 regular season.  Gohlke, the Waconia, Minn. native, totaled 13 kills, 516 assists, 35 aces and 186 digs in the regular season.  Her previous award from the conference was a 2025 Setter of the Week selection.

The freshman setter paced the offense to a season-long team hitting percentage of .241 to remain atop the league while helping the squad to six matches hitting over .300 and two over .400.  Gohlke reached a career-high 35 assists versus Furman and a career-high 16 digs versus Wofford.  She dished the individual single-game high for the Bucs of five aces at Wofford in the sweep of the reigning champions and recorded a kill in nine contests.  In a 6-2 offense, Gohlke reached 20 or more assists in nine matches, surpassing 30 three times.  Through her first season, Gohlke saw action in all 27 contests and 100 sets of the regular season, and started in 10 matches.  She helped the Bucs to the top of the league in assists (1233 at 12.21/set) and hitting percentage (.241) while recording seven double-doubles for the second most on the team in the regular season.
   
Sophie Davis was selected to the All-SoCon Freshman Team following the conclusion of the 2025 regular season.  Davis, the Bellbrook, Ohio native, accumulated 108 kills, 23 assists, six aces, 45 digs and 47 total blocks in the regular season.

The freshman outside hitter reached a career and season-high of 12 kills and five block assists in a five set victory over Chattanooga.  Her best hitting percentage came in at .857 (6-0-7) in the second four-set victory over Samford with her second-highest percentage coming in a .533 (9-1-15) in the first four-set victory over Samford. She boasted three aces against Western Kentucky and reached six digs twice in the season for a career-high.  Davis saw action in 26 of 27 matches with 11 starts, seeing time in 84 sets.
 
Makayla Bays - SoCon Player of the Year & First Team All-SoCon
Lindsey Devine - SoCon Coach of the Year
Whitley Rammel - First Team All-SoCon
Brianna Cantrell - Second Team All-SoCon
Bailey Gohlke - All-SoCon Freshman Team
Sophie Davis - All-SoCon Freshman Team
Bailey Gohlke - Southern Conference Setter of the Week (Oct. 13)
Makayla Bays - Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 13)
Makayla Bays - Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 22)
Isabelle Iosua - Hokie Classic All-Tournament Team
Makayla Bays - Hokie Classic MVP
Whitley Rammel - Buccaneer Classic All-Tournament Team
Makayla Bays - Gamecock Classic All-Tournament Team
Brianna Cantrell - Preseason All-SoCon
Whitley Rammel - Preseason All-SoCon
 
2025 All-Southern Conference Volleyball Teams and Awards
Player of the Year – Makayla Bays, ETSU, So., OH  
Co-Rayna Taylor Freshman of the Year – Charlotte Thompson, Mercer, OH/RS and Tatum Sharp, Western Carolina, MB
Libero of the Year – Laney Klika, Wofford, Jr.
Setter of the Year – Katie Boney, Western Carolina, Jr.
Coach of the Year – Lindsey Devine, ETSU
 
All-SoCon First Team
Makayla Bays, ETSU, So., OH
Whitley Rammel, ETSU, Sr., MB
Tennyson Gorman, Furman, So., MB
Allie Sweet, UNCG, So., OH
Kaleigh Meritt, Samford, R-Jr., OH
Sydney Jackwin, Chattanooga, Sr., OH
Bradley Brown, Wofford, So., MB
 
All-SoCon Second Team
Brianna Cantrell, ETSU, Sr., OH
Ashley Stein, Furman, So., OH
Izzy Castelloe, Furman, Jr., MB
Ally Cordes, Samford, Jr., OH
Laney Klika, Wofford, Jr., LIB
Annemarie Rakoski, Wofford, Sr., MB  
Chloe Smith, Wofford, So., OH
 
All-Freshman Team
Sophie Davis, ETSU, OH
Bailey Gohlke, ETSU, S
Charlotte Thompson, Mercer, OH/RS
Connore' Siler-Nixon, UNCG, MB
Sydney Waller, Samford, OPP
Jordin Glass, Chattanooga, MB
Tatum Sharp, Western Carolina, MB
 
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