Martins named SAC International Woman of the Year
Mars Hill senior libero Ully Martins was named the 2021 South Atlantic Conference International Woman of the Year, as announced by the league on Tuesday morning.
ROCK HILL, S.C. - Mars Hill senior libero Ully Martins was named the 2021 South Atlantic Conference International Woman of the Year, as announced by the league on Tuesday morning.
Martins, a recent graduate and defensive specialist, has been a member of the women's volleyball program for four years and currently has a 3.74 Cumulative GPA while majoring in Computer Science with her bachelor's degree. Martins made the Mars Hill Dean's List all four years as well the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll her first three years.
On the court, as a true freshman starter she played in 19 matches for a total of 56 sets, she collected 206 digs, 16 assists and nine aces. As a sophomore who competed in 29 matches while picking up 622 digs, she ranked fourth in SAC digs per set and fifth in overall digs for the SAC. Martins had an impressive junior season with 606 digs, 79 assists and 16 service aces. This resulted in her ranking second in both digs per set and over all digs in the league.
In a short 10 match spring season she concluded her senior season with 223 digs, 34 assists, six aces and became No. 1 in the league for digs per set and digs overall. She was named to SAC First Team All-Conference in both the pre and post season while also helping lead her team to their fourth straight SAC Tournament Bid.
A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Martins is active on and off of the court in the Mars Hill community. She has put together canned food drives with the Mars Hill Student Athlete Advisory Committee during all four years. Martins helped to host Halloween Trunk -or-Treat opportunities for community children, while coaching young children in Brazil every summer. She was an instrumental part in the "Dig Pink", nights where the team would raise money for breast cancer research. Lastly Martins volunteered to help other Mars Hill students better their mathematical skills by tutoring them weekly.
Martins, and Queens' volleyball player Logan Witt, will move forward as the Conference's nominees for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
Established in 1991, the NCAA Woman of the Year award is rooted in Title IX and recognizes graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their NCAA eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
The nominees competed in 24 sports across all three NCAA divisions, including 251 nominees from Division I, 107 from Division II and 177 from Division III. Multisport student-athletes account for 141 of the nominees.