Miami Gardens, Fla. – The Sun Conference's Setter of the Year and Setter of the Year awards are staying at St. Thomas, as Payton Bertke and Bianca Grassi repeated as the league's best at their positions while Whitney Battoe was named the Sun Conference Coach of the Year.

Bertke repeats as the League's Setter of the Year after leading the conference in assists for the second-straight season with a 11.07 per-set rate that ranks fifth nationally. Making STU history in 2023 as the first Bobcat to achieve Setter of the Year status, her 979 total assists this fall has already surpassed her freshman year total with her per set average on pace for a personal-best. She garnered the Conference's Setter of the Week nod nine times in 2024 and the National Setter of the Week once.

The first four-time Sun Conference Libero of the Year on record, Grassi currently leads the league with a 5.64 digs per set average that ranks 16th nationally. She was tabbed the league's Defensive Player of the Week four times and NAIA National Defensive Player of the Week once

Battoe receives her third Sun Conference Coach of the Year Plaudit after completing the first undefeated season by a NAIA sponsored sport in STU history, heading into the Sun Conference Championship Semifinals with a 28-0 record. She won her 100th game as the Bobcats' Head Coach at the New College of Florida on Oct. 26, the day after entering STU's Athletic Hall of Fame. It is her fifth all-time major award earned by the Sun Conference, being crowned the Player of the Year in 2017 and 2015.

As the Regular Season Champions, the Bobcats are set to host the 2024 Sun Conference Championship Semifinals and Finals on Friday, Nov. 15 and Saturday, Nov. 16.