2020-2021 season wrap
BESTE AYHAN (UMBC)
UMBC’s freshman middle blocker Beste Ayhan played 50 sets and finished the season with 102 points. She recorded career highs with 10 kills against New Hampshire (3/21/2021) and 8 blocks against UAlbany (3/14/2021 and 3/02/2021). Her team won the America East Championship and earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament. She recorded 7 points against Pepperdine in the first NCAA Tournament game.
UMBC defeated the last champion UAlbany in five sets (23-25, 25-23, 21-25, 25-22, 15-13) for its first America East Championship in program history. With the win, UMBC (11-3, 9-3 AE) clinched their first NCAA Tournament berth since 1998, when the team won the NEC conference crown. The UMBC Volleyball team finished the best season in the program’s history in the first round of the NCAA tournament falling to No.20 Pepperdine. UMBC Volleyball coach Cristina Robertson has been selected as the American Volleyball Coaches Association East Coast Region Coach of the Year.
IREMNUR ELMAS (IOWA WESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE )
Iowa Western’s freshman outside hitter Irem recorded career highs with 19 kills and 19 digs against Missouri State University - West Plains (3/18/2021). She finished the season with 354.5 points. Freshman Iremnur Elmas was named to the All-Tournament Team. Irem was the best scorer in her team with 311 kills.
Along with the team title, Freshman Setter Yadhira Anchante was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament and Freshman Iremnur Elmas and Maike Bertenswere named to the All-Tournament Team. They matched a season-best with 63 kills against Snow College (4/17/2021). Iowa Western claimed the 2020-21 NJCAA Division I Volleyball Championship title at the West Plains Civic Center, on Saturday, April 17. They made the second NJCAA Division I Volleyball Championship title in school history for the Reivers. The Reivers entered the national tournament as the No. 5 seed with a 22-3 record and finished the season 26-3 overall and 11-0 conference. The victory over Utah State Eastern earned Coach Williams her 300th victory of her coaching career, she also took home the tournaments Heidi Cartisser Coach of the Tournament Award.
ADA BULGUR (UTRGV)
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley volleyball team's freshman outside hitter Ada Bulgur earned Western Athletic Conference (WAC) All-Freshman Team honors. Bulgur played 13 games. Ada posted career-high 12 kills and first block at Grand Canyon (2/23), recorded team-high tying 11 kills vs. Utah Valley (3/15), in UTRGV debut, recorded eight kills with seven digs vs. UTSA (1/22). Bulgur finished with 78,5 points.
UTRGV got a chance to play 17 games. UTRGV matched a season best with 12 aces against Seattle U (3/09/2021) and season best 85 digs against UTSA (1/22/21) Fourth-seeded UTRGV Vaqueros volleyball team fell to the fifth-seeded Chicago State Cougars 0-3 in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Tournament Quarterfinals at Lockhart Arena. They eliminated and closed the season after this loss.
REVNA CAKIR (UTRGV)
Revna Cakir missed the remainder of the season due to injury. She recorded three kills on three attacks with one assist and one block in debut vs. UTSA (1/22) before she got injured.
DOGA TOPCICEK (BRADLEY)
Bradley’s freshman outside hitter Doga Topcicek played 17 games in this season. She finished the season with 108.5 points. She broke service aces record with 21 aces in this season and took first place in the team. She also took third place of digs records with 205 digs. She recorded career highs with 23 digs against Drake (2/08/2021) and 13 kills against UNI (3/28/2021).
Bradley Volleyball recorded 12-7 overall and 12-6 conference. They had only one defeat in their home (3/28/2021 against UNI). Overall, Bradley has won three-straight three-set matches in conference play for the first time since 2003 and has won its last 12 sets overall. Bradley made their first MVC Tournament semifinal appearance since 2002. The Braves finished the season with an 8-1 home record for the second-best home mark in program history behind only the 14-1 record at Renaissance Coliseum during the 2018 campaign.
YAGMUR CINEL (UNI)
UNI’s freshman outside hitter Yagmur Cinel played 20 games and finished the season with 157.0 points, 143 kills. Cinel recorded career highs with 14 kills against Valparaiso (03/14/21), 4 blocks also in the series against Valparaiso (03/15/21).
With the Evansville win (2/07/2021), head coach Bobbi Peterson at 510 career wins, surpassing former Missouri State head coach Melissa Stokes as the MVC all-time wins leader.UNI matched a season-best with 89 digs and 17 blocks in the victory against Bradley (3/27/2021). UNI made the league-best 36th consecutive season that the Panthers have secured a berth in the conference tournament. UNI Volleyball Falls in MVC Semifinal against Loyola.
HANDE YETIS (UTEP)
UTEP’s freshman setter Hande Yetis played in 50 sets across 15 matches and ranked second on the team and top-15 in C-USA in assists per set (5.12) in the Miners' two-setter system. Yetis helped UTEP to the third-best assist per set ratio in the conference (12.52) – an improvement from 11th place in 2019. She played with a career-high with 35 assists versus North Texas (2/28/2021)
In this season, UTEP finished with a winning record for the first time since 2012 and reached its highest conference winning percentage (.667) since the 1985 season. The Miners also went on a four-match, 12-set winning streak for the first time in conference play since the 1996 season. UTEP finished 2020-21 in the top four in C-USA in service aces (1st), aces per set (1st), hitting percentage (4th), kills (3rd), assists per set (3rd) and opponent hitting percentage (3rd).
CAGLA BENGI (SETON HALL)
Seton Hall’s freshman setter Cagla Bengi played in 17 sets over four matches due to her injury. Bengi had 24 digs, she collected 4 service aces, 19 assists and six digs at Connecticut on (3/27/2021). Bengi led the team with 19 assists to go with five digs at Villanova (3/20/2021) and made her collegiate debut with 18 assists and seven digs at Villanova 3/19/2021).
2 games have been canceled due to Covid-19 so Seton Hall was able to play 11 games. They finished the 2021 season with a 4-7 overall record and a 2-6 mark in the BIG EAST. The Pirates improve to 19-16 all-time against the Friars.
DAMLA TOKMAN (HOFSTRA)
Hofstra’s freshman middle blocker Damla Tokman played 20 sets. She recorded career highs with 5 blocks against Northeastern (3/05/2021) and 7 kills Delaware (3/24/2021).
Hofstra volleyball recorded 3-4 overall in the 2020-2021 season. Due to coronavirus, they were able to play 7 games, 5 games have been cancelled. Stony Brook In The Long Island Rivalry win marked the Pride's first 2-0 start since beginning the 2016 campaign with four straight wins. Hofsta matched a season-best with 71 blocks in the victory against Seton Hall. (2/26/2021)
CANSU GUNAYDIN (RUTGERS)
Rutgers’s freshman outside Cansu Gunaydin played 7 sets. Gunaydin recorded career highs with 3 blocks against Purdue (3/20/2021).
The Scarlet Knights close out 2021 at 6-14 tying for the most wins in conference play since 2005 when RU went 6-8 in the Big East. First-Ever Win Over Michigan State, improved Rutgers to 5-14 overall with the Scarlet Knights having won three-straight league matches. The beating Maryland (25-16, 16-25, 25-17, 25-22) win was the first for the Scarlet Knights over the Terrapins since 2015 and the first victory by RU in College Park since 1980.
KARYA SUVARIOGLU (REINHARDT)
Reinhardt’s freshman setter Karya played 6 games. This season she recorded 152 assists,13 blocks and 15 kills.
Reinhardt volleyball recorded 22-6 overall, 17-2 conference in the 2020-2021 season. For the third year in-a-row, Reinhardt was a host in the NAIA Women's Volleyball Opening Round. The Pilots (24-6) made their second appearance in the National Championship.