By: Ace Hunt
SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. – Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College women's volleyball recorded one of the most historic seasons in program history, capped this week when
three Pomeroys earned AVCA NAIA All-Region honors—the program's first-ever selections at the NAIA level. Junior outside hitter
Karla Melendez was named to the
Mid-South All-Region Team and selected
Mid-South Region Player of the Year, while senior setter
Aden Britt and junior opposite
Masa Pesic earned
Honorable Mention All-Region recognition.
The AVCA announcement included
198 All-Region and Honorable Mention honorees representing 106 NAIA institutions. Across each of the NAIA's nine regions, 14 student-athletes earned All-Region distinction and eight received honorable mention recognition. A Player, Freshman, Coach, and Assistant Coach of the Year were also selected for each region.
The accolades come at the conclusion of a milestone year for the Pomeroys, who finished
30–6, earned the
No. 2 seed in the River States Conference Tournament, and advanced to the
RSC Semifinals for the first time in their NAIA era.
Melendez Named Region Player of the Year After Record-Shattering Season
Melendez delivered one of the most complete seasons of any outside hitter in the NAIA, becoming the
first player in SMWC history to earn a postseason specialty award from the River States Conference, capturing the
2025 RSC Player of the Year honor. She was also a
First Team All-RSC selection and a
four-time RSC Attacker of the Week.
Across 31 matches and 102 sets, Melendez totaled
398 kills (3.90 per set) on a
.280 hitting percentage, along with
52 service aces,
26 assists,
293 digs (2.87 per set) and
44 total blocks, finishing with
483.5 points (4.74 per set). She also posted a dominant
.961 reception percentage on 490 attempts, one of the best marks among six-rotation players in the region.
She recorded
25 double-digit kill performances, highlighted by 24 kills against IU Southeast, 23 versus Shawnee State, and 17 in the Pomeroys' RSC Quarterfinal victory over Shawnee State. Her combination of power, efficiency, defensive reliability, and six-rotation consistency made her the centerpiece of one of the most balanced offenses in the conference.
Melendez now advances to the national ballot for
AVCA NAIA All-America consideration.
Britt Earns AVCA Honorable Mention After Leading One of the Region's Top Offenses
Senior setter
Aden Britt capped her SMWC career with her strongest season yet, earning
AVCA Honorable Mention All-Region recognition alongside
First Team All-RSC honors.
Britt guided a Pomeroy offense that hit
.269 as a team, nearly doubling the efficiency of its opponents (.128). She finished the year with
798 assists (8.31 per set),
63 kills, and a
.206 hitting percentage, while adding
67 service aces—one of the highest totals of any setter in the NAIA. Defensively, Britt was exceptional, collecting
280 digs (2.92 per set) and contributing
18 total blocks at the net.
Her all-around production played a crucial role in SMWC's ability to spread the floor, extend rallies, and maintain its offensive rhythm throughout the season.
Pesic Dominates as All-Region Honorable Mention Right Side
Junior opposite hitter
Masa Pesic continued her rise as one of the premier right-side attackers in the River States Conference, earning
Honorable Mention All-Region honors after a standout season.
Pesic posted
325 kills (3.35 per set) on an impressive
.326 hitting percentage, adding
50 aces,
87 digs, and
55 total blocks, finishing with
407 points (4.20 per set). Her production in both the front row and from the service line made her one of the most difficult matchups in the RSC and a reliable scoring presence throughout the year.
Pesic joined Melendez and Britt as
First Team All-RSC honorees, marking the first time in program history that SMWC placed three players on the RSC's top team.
Team Defense and Depth Fueled SMWC's 30-Win Season
The Pomeroys showcased significant team depth, finishing with a
30–6 record and advancing to the
RSC Semifinals for the first time after earning the No. 2 seed.
SMWC's defense ranked among the best in the conference:
- 2070 total digs (16.43 per set)
- .942 team reception percentage
- 267 total blocks (2.12 per set)
- Opponents held to .128 hitting percentage
Melendez's
293 digs, Britt's
280 digs, and Pesic's
87 digs contributed to a reliable backcourt group that also benefited from standout libero and DS performances across the roster.
At the net, Pesic (55 blocks),
Sofia Soto (66 blocks),
Felicia Omosebi (67 blocks), and
Evelyn Morales (49 blocks) anchored a front-line unit that made SMWC one of the most balanced teams statistically in the NAIA.
The Pomeroys also placed
five players on the All-RSC Teams, including:
Mid-South Region Awards
- Player of the Year: Karla Melendez, SMWC
- Freshman of the Year: Eevy Bellar, Columbia International
- Coach of the Year: Heather Hayes, IU Kokomo
- Assistant Coach of the Year: Sarah Morin, IU Kokomo
These regional honors mirror the RSC's 2025 specialty award selections, further emphasizing SMWC's emergence as a championship-caliber program.
