POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Polk State Volleyball was represented with three selections to the All-Suncoast Conference team on Thursday night.
Kaila Ru, third-year sophomore and team captain was named to the first team.
The New Zealand native and middle blocker led Polk State in many statistical categories this season, including total kills (213), kills per set (3.04), total blocks (54), and blocks per set (0.77).
Ru, a 6-foot-2 middle blocker, leads the state and ranks third nationally with a .381 hitting percentage. Following a 26-kill performance against Hillsborough Community College last month, Ru earned FCSAA Player of the Week and national NJCAA Offensive Player of the Week honors.
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Carolina Guerreiro and Irene Mostardini were each named to the conference’s second team.
Both freshmen, Guerreiro and Mostardini excelled despite taking on bigger roles than expected for the Eagles.
Guerreiro, an outside hitter, and native of Brazil, ranked second on the team this season with 207 total kills and by averaging 2.62 kills per set. Guerriero recorded double-digit kills in 10 of Polk State’s 22 matches, including in six straight from Sept. 8 to Sept. 15.
She tallied a career[1]high 24 kills against Seward County Community College on Sept. 8.
Mostardini, a libero, and native of Italy, led the Eagles this season in total digs (249), digs per set (4.53), and receiving percentage (.960). She ranked in the top 25 nationally and second in the state in digs per set. Mostardini finished with at least 20 digs on five different occasions this season.
Polk State will hope for a big effort from its three All-Suncoast selections at the FCSAA Tournament in Melbourne. The Eagles need at least two wins to have a shot to qualify for the national NJCAA Tournament. Polk State will be the No. 6 seed in the FCSAA Tournament and take on third-seeded Daytona State College on Friday at 9 a.m.
Suncoast Conference Selections
First Team: Kaila Ru, MB, sophomore
Second Team: Carolina Guerreiro, OH, freshman Irene Mostardini, L, freshman
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