Broncos' Entire Starting Lineup Earn All-Conference Honors

FRISCO, Texas – Boise State beach volleyball racked up the postseason awards as its entire starting lineup was named to one of the two Southland All-Conference teams, the league announced Wednesday. Additionally, Marlayna Bullington and Sierra Land were named the SLC Pair of the Year while Bullington received SLC Newcomer of the Year.

The awards mark the first time in conference history that a SLC team has had its entire starting lineup represented on the league's all-conference teams. Bullington and Land also mark the first superlative award winners from the conference in program history.

The league announced two all-conference teams, with each team consisting of a pair from each of the five positions, in addition to a pair, newcomer, freshman and coach of the year. The honorees were voted upon by the SLC's head coaches.

Named the top pair in the conference, Bullington and Land finished 28-11 on the season from the top court, breaking the program record for most career wins by a duo in program history. They were named the SLC Pair of the Week twice on the year and finished 6-1 in conference duals. The tandem took down the top pairs from No. 15 Georgia State, No. 17 Arizona (three times) and No. 20 Tampa.

Bullington was named the Newcomer of the Year after transferring from Austin Peay. The Portland, Tenn., native competed the entire season on court one alongside Land, generating 28 wins as a Bronco to add to her career total of 79 victories.

Three Bronco duos were tabbed to the All-SLC First Team. Bullington and Land earned the distinction on the top court, Addison Wolden and Abbie Wolf received the honors on court four while Sharli O'Neil and Elli Wolthuis were recognized as the conference's top No. 5 pair.

Paired together midway through the season, Wolden and Wolf generated an 11-1 performance from the No. 4 position. The duo enters the conference tournament with a 16-3 overall record and set the program record by winning 14-consecutive matches on the year. The tandem went 5-0 during conference contests and picked up ranked wins over No. 15 Georgia State, No. 17 Arizona and No. 20 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

O'Neil and Wolthuis were also recognized as the top No. 5 pair in the league, finishing 25-11 on the season. Their 25 wins is the most in a single season on the No. 5 court and the twosome's 26 career wins is the second-most victories in program history. The duo won five matches against ranked opponents on the season and finished the year 4-1 against conference opponents.

Boise State had two pairs receive second-team all-conference recognition, with Ava Anderson and Emilia Guerra-Acuña earning a spot at the No. 2 position while Rorianna Chartier and Lily Patock were selected from the No. 3 court.

Anderson and Guerra-Acuña finished 24-14 on the season, including a 14-7 mark from the No. 2 slot. The pair went undefeated in conference play and won matches against four ranked opponents on the season. The duo also went on a 10-match win streak over the course of the year.

Chartier and Patock enter the conference tournament with a 20-18 overall record and a 9-5 performance from the No. 3 position. The duo picked up two ranked wins on the season and finished 4-2 against conference opponents.

The Broncos will compete in the SLC Beach Volleyball Championship, April 19-21, after finishing in second place a year ago. Boise State earned a No. 2 seed and will take on No. 7 McNeese State in the first round of the double-elimination tournament on Friday at 10:30 a.m. MT. The winner of the conference tournament will earn an automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship.

2024 Southland Conference All-Conference Awards

Pair of the Year: Marlayna Bullington/Sierra Land (Boise State)
Newcomer of the Year: Marlayna Bullington (Boise State)
Freshman of the Year: Cassie Dodd (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi)
Coach of the Year: Gayle Stammer (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi)

First Team All-SLC

No. 1 - Marlayna Bullington/Sierra Land – (Boise State)
No. 2 - Chloe Tome/Cassie Dodd (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi)
No. 3 - Stephanie Young/Hannah Doyle (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi)
No. 4 - Addison Wolden/Abbie Wolf (Boise State)
No. 5 - Sharli O'Neil/Elli Wolthuis (Boise State)

Second Team All-SLC

No. 1 - Andrea Da Silva/Rachel Hartmann (Southeastern Louisiana)
No. 2 - Ava Anderson/Emilia Guerra-Acuna (Boise State)
No. 3 - Rorianna Chartier/Lily Patock (Boise State)
No. 4 - Serena Baumgart/Anne Hardouin (New Orleans)
No. 5 - Elizabeth Cortez/Kela Moreno (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi)