Jacksonville, Fla. – The ASUN Conference announced its postseason awards Monday afternoon, with three Hatters earning recognition.
Zuzanna Bury was named First Team All-ASUN,
Xinlei Yang earned a spot on the ASUN All-Freshman Team, and
Kayla Balfour was selected to the ASUN Academic All-Conference Team.
This marks the fourteenth time a Hatter has earned a spot on the First Team All-ASUN, with Bury becoming the first player to receive the honor since Kira Smedley in 2004. Yang becomes the sixteenth Hatter to make the All-Freshman Team, following the most recent selection of Sophie Groom in 2022.
First Team All-ASUN – Zuzanna Bury
An outside hitter from Zywiec, Poland, Bury made an immediate impact in her first season with the Hatters. After appearing in just nine sets last year at Towson, she emerged as one of the ASUN's most dominant attackers, leading the conference in kills, attack attempts, and points.
Bury finished the season with 445 kills (4.05 per set) on 1,257 attempts, while also adding 16 assists, a team-high 31 aces, 269 digs, 53 blocks, and 512 total points (4.65 per set). Her 445 kills rank third-most in a single season in program history, and her 1,257 attempts rank second all-time.
"Zuza's hard work deserves all the awards she gets," Head Coach
Yang Deng said. "In her first season with us she made tremendous improvement. It's all due to her work ethic and coachability. I'm very proud of her."
ASUN All-Freshman Team – Xinlei Yang
Yang, a middle blocker from Beijing, China, was a steady contributor at the net throughout her rookie season. She appeared in 101 sets, totaling 217 kills, 15 aces, 49 digs, and 77 blocks.
She made an early statement with 18 kills in her second collegiate match, then posted a career-high 19 kills a few weeks later against Bethune-Cookman. Defensively, she recorded seven matches with five or more blocks.
"Xinlei is just out of high school and adjusting to a new country, new tempo, and new lifestyle," Deng said. "She's doing a great job trying to fit in and continues to grow every day."
ASUN Academic All-Conference – Kayla Balfour
Balfour, a junior middle blocker from Pensacola, Florida, earned Academic All-ASUN honors while majoring in sociology. On the court, she ranked second in the conference in blocks with 114, while adding 139 kills on the season.
She delivered career-best performances with 13 kills against Youngstown State and 13 blocks against Quinnipiac—a performance that helped her earn ASUN Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 15.
"Kayla is a consistent hard worker on and off the court," Deng said. "She sets a great example for our younger players, and I'm proud of her continued improvement."
About Stetson Athletics
At Stetson University, student-athletes don't just compete—they thrive. Located in historic DeLand, Florida, between Orlando and Daytona Beach, Stetson offers the perfect blend of competitive athletics, academic excellence, and an unbeatable Central Florida lifestyle. As the oldest private university in the region, Stetson supports approximately 500 student-athletes across 19 NCAA Division I sports. Nicknamed the "Hatters" after the institution's namesake John B. Stetson, a hat manufacturer who originated the modern-day cowboy hat, most Stetson athletic teams compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference, where they proudly hold the longest active membership since 1985. With top-tier facilities, personalized support, and a welcoming campus community, Stetson is where students can grow, compete, and succeed. Learn more at GoHatters.com or follow social media accounts @StetsonHatters.
