Sports
Holbrook and Benesz secure AVCA Top Flight award
Story Links LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 5, 2025) – The American Volleyball Coaches Association announced the recipients of their Top Flight Awards on Friday, May 2, with graduate Kaitlyn Holbrook and junior Hailey Benesz receiving honors from flight five. The honor marks the first for both players and first postseason honor […]
LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 5, 2025) – The American Volleyball Coaches Association announced the recipients of their Top Flight Awards on Friday, May 2, with graduate Kaitlyn Holbrook and junior Hailey Benesz receiving honors from flight five.
The honor marks the first for both players and first postseason honor as a pair. The distinction is the second postseason award for Holbrook, who was voted Second Team All-ASUN by the Atlantic Sun Conference on April 23. It also marks the second-straight season a North Alabama pair has won the honor, with senior Katy Floyd and junior Selma Robinson winning the award in 2024 from flight two.
The selection adds to Beach Volleyball’s postseason award tally, who already secured seven honors from the conference. North Alabama earns its eighth during the 2025 campaign while marking the seventh different Lion to receive a postseason honor. UNA had two academic ASUN honors, two first-team and one second-team all-conference selections and three all-freshman team selections. UNA’s Floyd and Robinson also received their first career ASUN Pair of the Year honor.
Top Flight awards recognize excellence in collegiate beach volleyball from all over the country and across all flights. Eligible pairs must compete in at least 15 matches together at a specific flight number and win at least 75% of their matches—regardless of the overall result of the dual.
The fifth-flight pairing combined for a 19-7 record on the year, posting a 7-3 record in ASUN play. Their 19 wins is the eighth most all-time in program history for pair season wins.
Holbrook and Benesz went on winning streaks of four or more three times this season, including a season-high six from Feb. 28 to March 8. They also picked up two victories against ranked opponents, earning fifth-flight wins against No. 10 LSU on Feb. 28 and No. 16 North Florida on March 28.
Click here for the full awards list.
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