University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Two Golden Eagle Pairs Earn All-Sun Belt Conference Honors, Corcoz Named Newcomer of the Year
4/22/2026 7:15:00 PM | Beach Volleyball
NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference today announced its 2026 Beach Volleyball Awards as voted on by league coaches. Iustina Corcoz was named Newcomer of the Year while Golden Eagle pairings Laurel Dennis and Sadie McAda earned First Team honors and Zuzanna Michalska and Abby Lewis earned Second Team honors.
The Golden Eagles notch two all-conference pairs for the first time in program history with Corcoz taking home the program's first Newcomer of the Year award. Southern Miss opens the 2026 Sun Belt Beach Volleyball Championship tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. against (6) ULM.
Corcoz, a native of Bucharest, Romania, joined the Golden Eagles this season after transferring from West University of Timisoara. The graduate student has played in 29 duals this season and sports an 11-18 overall ledger primarily played at the fourth flight where she holds a 10-16 record.
The majority of her duals have been played alongside Y-Nhu Do (6-10) though she has played with Margarita Grigoreva (3-7), Izzy Beech (1-0) and Brooklyn Bowdler (1-0). She has played all but three of her season duals at the 4s and has wins over No. 19 Arizona and over Sun Belt foes Mercer and UNCW.
Southern Miss' top flight of Laurel Dennis and Sadie McAda picked up their first all-conference honors of their three-year career after leading Southern Miss with an 18-15 overall record in the 1s. Dennis, a native of Gulfport, Mississippi, and McAda, a native of Pleasanton, Texas, have played every match together for the past three years and picked up their 50th career win as a pair earlier this season.
In 2026, they have flight wins over the No. 1 pairing of No. 15 Stetson, No. 18 Washington and (RV) Tulane. They also posted a 4-1 record against Sun Belt Competition, falling only to the Sun Belt Pair of the Year in three sets. The duo also holds a 43-36 set record on the year and 9-4 in sets against Sun Belt teams.
Zuzanna Michalska and Abby Lewis earned second team honors after leading Southern Miss with a 19-13 record in all but one of Southern Miss' season duals. Michalska, a native of Warsaw, Poland, earned Second-Team honors last season alongside Madison Cassidy while The Woodlands, Texas, native Lewis notches on the all-conference team as a true freshman.
Michalska and Lewis led Southern Miss in wins this year and also posted a 4-1 record in Sun Belt play. The pairing finished with a 42-31 set record and were 8-3 against Sun Belt teams. Fourteen of their victories came in two sets this year while they also put together victories over No. 12 LSU, No. 18 Washington, No. 19 Arizona and (RV) Florida State.
Pair of the Year
Grace Sistrunk / Lyvia Trimp, UNCW (Gr., Wilmington, N.C. / Sr., Charlotte, N.C.)
Newcomer of the Year
Iustina Corcoz, Southern Miss (Gr., Bucharest, Romania)
Freshman of the Year
Courtney Burnham, Coastal Carolina (Fr., Summerfield, N.C.)
Coach of the Year
Collin Wilson, Coastal Carolina
All-Sun Belt First Team
Emma Kunaus / Frida Meincke Lyø, Coastal Carolina (Sr., Toronto, Ontario, Canada / So., Svendborg, Denmark)
Ava Novello / Karis Gordon, Coastal Carolina (Jr., Long Valley, N.J. / Sr., Ashburn, Va.)
Bella Troncale / Savannah Ebarb, Georgia State (Fr., Boca Raton, Fla. / Jr., Plano, Texas)
Laurel Dennis / Sadie McAda, Southern Miss (Jr., Gulfport Miss. / Jr., Pleasanton, Texas)
Grace Sistrunk / Lyvia Trimp, UNCW (Gr., Wilmington, N.C. / Sr., Charlotte, N.C.)
All-Sun Belt Second Team
Anna Rita / Madeline Sigmon, Coastal Carolina (Sr., Riga, Latvia / Jr., Statesville, N.C.)
Courtney Burnham / Maya McNabney, Coastal Carolina (Fr., Summerfield, N.C. / Jr., Ancaster, Ontario, Canada)
Michaela Jefferson / Danica Singleton, Georgia State (Jr., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada / So., Gilbert, Ariz.)
Zuzanna Michalska / Abby Lewis, Southern Miss (Sr., Warsaw, Poland / Fr., The Woodlands, Texas)
Gabby LaPata / Sarah Thompson, UNCW (Sr., Charlotte, N.C. / Sr., Virginia Beach, Va.)
The Golden Eagles notch two all-conference pairs for the first time in program history with Corcoz taking home the program's first Newcomer of the Year award. Southern Miss opens the 2026 Sun Belt Beach Volleyball Championship tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. against (6) ULM.
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Corcoz, a native of Bucharest, Romania, joined the Golden Eagles this season after transferring from West University of Timisoara. The graduate student has played in 29 duals this season and sports an 11-18 overall ledger primarily played at the fourth flight where she holds a 10-16 record.
The majority of her duals have been played alongside Y-Nhu Do (6-10) though she has played with Margarita Grigoreva (3-7), Izzy Beech (1-0) and Brooklyn Bowdler (1-0). She has played all but three of her season duals at the 4s and has wins over No. 19 Arizona and over Sun Belt foes Mercer and UNCW.
Southern Miss' top flight of Laurel Dennis and Sadie McAda picked up their first all-conference honors of their three-year career after leading Southern Miss with an 18-15 overall record in the 1s. Dennis, a native of Gulfport, Mississippi, and McAda, a native of Pleasanton, Texas, have played every match together for the past three years and picked up their 50th career win as a pair earlier this season.
In 2026, they have flight wins over the No. 1 pairing of No. 15 Stetson, No. 18 Washington and (RV) Tulane. They also posted a 4-1 record against Sun Belt Competition, falling only to the Sun Belt Pair of the Year in three sets. The duo also holds a 43-36 set record on the year and 9-4 in sets against Sun Belt teams.
Zuzanna Michalska and Abby Lewis earned second team honors after leading Southern Miss with a 19-13 record in all but one of Southern Miss' season duals. Michalska, a native of Warsaw, Poland, earned Second-Team honors last season alongside Madison Cassidy while The Woodlands, Texas, native Lewis notches on the all-conference team as a true freshman.
Michalska and Lewis led Southern Miss in wins this year and also posted a 4-1 record in Sun Belt play. The pairing finished with a 42-31 set record and were 8-3 against Sun Belt teams. Fourteen of their victories came in two sets this year while they also put together victories over No. 12 LSU, No. 18 Washington, No. 19 Arizona and (RV) Florida State.
Pair of the Year
Grace Sistrunk / Lyvia Trimp, UNCW (Gr., Wilmington, N.C. / Sr., Charlotte, N.C.)
Newcomer of the Year
Iustina Corcoz, Southern Miss (Gr., Bucharest, Romania)
Freshman of the Year
Courtney Burnham, Coastal Carolina (Fr., Summerfield, N.C.)
Coach of the Year
Collin Wilson, Coastal Carolina
All-Sun Belt First Team
Emma Kunaus / Frida Meincke Lyø, Coastal Carolina (Sr., Toronto, Ontario, Canada / So., Svendborg, Denmark)
Ava Novello / Karis Gordon, Coastal Carolina (Jr., Long Valley, N.J. / Sr., Ashburn, Va.)
Bella Troncale / Savannah Ebarb, Georgia State (Fr., Boca Raton, Fla. / Jr., Plano, Texas)
Laurel Dennis / Sadie McAda, Southern Miss (Jr., Gulfport Miss. / Jr., Pleasanton, Texas)
Grace Sistrunk / Lyvia Trimp, UNCW (Gr., Wilmington, N.C. / Sr., Charlotte, N.C.)
All-Sun Belt Second Team
Anna Rita / Madeline Sigmon, Coastal Carolina (Sr., Riga, Latvia / Jr., Statesville, N.C.)
Courtney Burnham / Maya McNabney, Coastal Carolina (Fr., Summerfield, N.C. / Jr., Ancaster, Ontario, Canada)
Michaela Jefferson / Danica Singleton, Georgia State (Jr., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada / So., Gilbert, Ariz.)
Zuzanna Michalska / Abby Lewis, Southern Miss (Sr., Warsaw, Poland / Fr., The Woodlands, Texas)
Gabby LaPata / Sarah Thompson, UNCW (Sr., Charlotte, N.C. / Sr., Virginia Beach, Va.)
– #SMTTT –
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