Volleyball | November 18, 2021

AUGUSTA, Ga. – University of South Carolina Aiken volleyball standouts Caroline Foster, Kari Mercer and Alie Smith have been named to the all-conference team, as announced by the PBC office.

Smith earned first-team accolades for her effort while Foster and Mercer each garnered second-team honors. Smith led the league with 4.81 total points per set and 462 overall points on the season. She also was first in kills/set (4.18), fourth in aces (0.45/set), seventh in digs/set (3.46) and eighth in hitting percentage (.218). In PBC-only play, she was first in total kills (145), first in kills/set (3.72), sixth in aces (0.33/set) and eighth in points/set (4.24). 

Smith posted a season-high 24 kills in the win over West Alabama, had a season-best 30 points against Carson-Newman and registered a season-high 24 digs against Lenoir-Rhyne. The 2020 PBC Player of the Year is the PBC's all-time leader in kills during the rally-scoring era and holds the school record for double-doubles during the rally-scoring era (67). 

Smith, a native of St. Johns, Fla., earned PBC Player of the Week honors four times. The outside hitter is the first PBC volleyball student-athlete to pick up all-conference honors five times.  

Foster, a setter from Blue Springs, Mo., earned second-team honors for the second consecutive season. A four-time PBC Specialist of the Week, Foster led the PBC in total assists (877) and in assists per set (9.53). In PBC-only matches, Foster was second in the league in total assists (333) and assists per set (9.51). 

Foster dished out a career-high 56 assists in the win over West Alabama and tied the mark in the win over Georgia College. She distributed 54 assists in a five-set match at Augusta and had 50 in the five-set win at Lander. Foster recorded at least 50 assists four times and had 40 or more assists 11 times on the year.

Mercer, a native of Hilliard, Ohio, led the PBC with 6.16 digs per set, totaling a PBC-best 579 digs on the season in 94 sets. In PBC competition, Mercer led everyone by averaging 5.46 digs per set and she posted a league-high 202 digs in just 37 sets while picking up PBC Libero of the Year honors.

Mercer registered a season-high 36 digs in the five-set match against Flagler on Oct. 8. She accounted for double-digit digs in all but one match this season. Mercer registered over 30 digs four times and reached at least 20 digs 20 times.

First Team
Christina Aguayo, Lander
Chloe Allen, Augusta
Jordan Berglin, Flagler
Logan Garcia, Flagler
Rachel Machovec, Flagler
Kylie Martin, Augusta
Kennedy Muff, Flagler
Alie Smith, USC Aiken
 
Second Team
Alexis Diaz-Infante, Augusta
Caroline Foster, USC Aiken
Alyssa Frazier, Augusta
Ally Hall, Georgia College
Holland Martin, Augusta
Kari Mercer, USC Aiken
Sarah Stewart, Georgia College
 
Elite 16 Award
Kennedy Muff, Flagler
 
Freshman of the Year
Jordan Berglin, Flagler
 
Libero/Defensive Specialist of the Year
Kari Mercer, USC Aiken
 
Setter of the Year
Kennedy Muff, Flagler
 
Player of the Year
Chloe Allen, Augusta
 
Coach of the Year
Matt Affolder, Flagler