GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Furman volleyball team had three players receive postseason honors from the Southern Conference on Wednesday afternoon as the league announced its yearly awards.

Sophomore middle blocker Tennyson Gorman (Franklin, Tenn.) was selected first team All-SoCon while sophomore outside hitter Ashley Stein (Easley, S.C.) and junior middle blocker Izzy Castelloe (Charlotte, N.C.) garnered spots on the second team.

Gorman earns her first career postseason recognition from the conference and is the first Paladin since Neci Harris in 2020-21 to receive first team citations. She leads the SoCon, and ranks seventh nationally, with 152 blocks heading into the conference tournament this weekend. Her 152 blocks are currently tied for fifth-most in a season in school history and sits 18 away from breaking the single-season mark. Gorman topped the Furman offense in 2025 with 268 kills on .369 hitting, presently sixth-best for a season in program history. The two-time SoCon Defensive Player of the Week recorded her first career double-double on November 1 with 10 kills and 10 blocks at Mercer. Gorman set a new career high with 11 blocks in the Paladins' 3-2 victory over regular season champion East Tennessee State. Gorman would finish with 10 or more kills in 11 matches highlighted by a career best 16 twice versus Presbyterian and Winthrop.

Stein also picks up her first-ever All-SoCon accolade after finishing second on the team in kills and double-doubles. She concluded the regular season with 253 kills, 11^th best in the SoCon, on .209 hitting and six double-doubles. Stein ranks second on the team with 242 digs and tied for third with 22 service aces. She set a new career high of 24 digs on October 18 in a 3-0 sweep of Western Carolina en route to being named the SoCon Defensive Player of the Week. Stein tallied 15 matches with double digit kills and 11 with 10 or more digs. She posted a season high 16 kills on November 14 when Furman topped Western Carolina in five sets.

A preseason All-SoCon pick this year, Castelloe collects her second career honor after being named to the All-Freshman Team in 2023. She ended the regular season second on the team with 70 blocks and fourth with 205 kills on .220 hitting. Castelloe notched 10 or more kills in six matches highlighted by 13 on .591 hitting on October 25 in the Paladins' 3-1 win over UNC Greensboro. She hit a career best .600 to go with nine kills and a season high seven blocks on August 29 when Furman opened the season with a 3-0 sweep of West Georgia in Atlanta, Ga. Defensively, Castelloe had at least one block in all but two matches she played in.

The Paladins are the second seed in the upcoming SoCon Volleyball Championship after compiling their first 20-win campaign since 2017. Furman finished the regular season 20-8 overall and 11-5 in the SoCon. The Paladins face seventh-seeded Mercer in the quarterfinals Friday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. from Harrah's Cherokee Center in Asheville, N.C.

2025 All-Southern Conference Volleyball Teams and Awards
Player of the Year – Makayla Bays, ETSU, So., OH   
Co-Rayna Taylor Freshman of the Year – Charlotte Thompson, Mercer, OH/RS and Tatum Sharp, Western Carolina, MB
Libero of the Year – Laney Klika, Wofford, Jr.
Setter of the Year – Katie Boney, Western Carolina, Jr.
Coach of the Year – Lindsey Devine, ETSU

All-SoCon First Team
Makayla Bays, ETSU, So., OH
Whitley Rammel, ETSU, Sr., MB
Tennyson Gorman, Furman, So., MB
Allie Sweet, UNCG, So., OH 
Kaleigh Meritt, Samford, R-Jr., OH 
Sydney Jackwin, Chattanooga, Sr., OH 
Bradley Brown, Wofford, So., MB

All-SoCon Second Team
Brianna Cantrell, ETSU, Sr., OH 
Ashley Stein, Furman, So., OH
Izzy Castelloe, Furman, Jr., MB
Ally Cordes, Samford, Jr., OH
Laney Klika, Wofford, Jr., LIB
Annemarie Rakoski, Wofford, Sr., MB   
Chloe Smith, Wofford, So., OH

All-Freshman Team
Sophie Davis, ETSU, OH 
Bailey Gohlke, ETSU, S
Charlotte Thompson, Mercer, OH/RS
Connore' Siler-Nixon, UNCG, MB
Sydney Waller, Samford, OPP
Jordin Glass, Chattanooga, MB
Tatum Sharp, Western Carolina, MB

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