Hanus Named CAA Defensive Specialist of the Year, Blue Hens Earn Three Nods to All-CAA Teams

RICHMOND, Va. – The Colonial Athletic Association announced Thursday that senior Andie Hanus has been named the Defensive Specialist of the Year, as well as earning All-CAA Second-Team honors, while classmate Maria Bellinger was a named to the All-CAA First Team and freshman Ezgi Basaranlar was named to the CAA All-Rookie Team.

"I'm really proud of the consistent performances of all three of these girls throughout the season," said head coach Sara Matthews. "These three are great ambassadors of our program and it is so rewarding to see all of their hard work pay off."

Hanus ranked second in the conference in digs with 473 in the regular season to average 4.68 per set. She eclipsed the 1,000 career digs mark when she had 32 in a three-set match at UNCW, tied for second-most in the country in a three-set match this season. Her digs per set mark is good for 67^th in the nation and she has seen action in all 95 sets of the regular season.

"I couldn't be more ecstatic that she was recognized as the top libero in the conference," Matthews said. "Andie was such a key for us all year long with her court presence and leadership. Her serve-receive numbers, as well as her defensive numbers, have enable our offense to be a lot more consistent."

Hanus is the fifth player in program history to earn the Defensive Specialist of the Year award and the first since 2012.

For her fourth season, Bellinger has been recognized by the CAA for her efforts and it is the second consecutive season she has earned a first-team nod. It marks the second straight season Bellinger led the conference in kills per set at 4.49 a frame to rank 19^th nationally. She is third on the team in digs and raised her hitting percentage drastically, going from a .187 clip as a junior to .241 in her senior campaign. She ranks second in the Delaware record book for career kills and career kills per set, and joins Hanus in playing every set of the 2019 regular season.

"It has been so fun to watch Maria be much more efficient and consistent this year, while putting up huge numbers," Matthews added. "She showed why she is one of the top players in the conference day-in and day-out."

Basaranlar made a statement early on in her collegiate career and did not miss a beat throughout her rookie season to earn a spot as a top rookie. She started her season with a double-double against Big 12 foe West Virginia that consisted of 50 assists and 11 digs. She kept the pace all season long, ranking second in the CAA with 10.53 assists per set, the most by a Blue Hen since 2011. Her assists per set mark rank inside the top-50 nationally and seventh among all collegiate freshmen.

"Ezgi was instrumental for our team in so many ways," Matthews explained. "The things she can do to create offensively for our hitters enabled us to be much more efficient. She has the ability to see the opponents' block and put our hitters in great positions. I can't wait to see what she accomplishes over her career here."

Delaware reached the CAA Tournament for the first time since 2016, when the Blue Hens were also the No. 6-seed and made it all the way to the championship match. This year's edition takes on tournament host Hofstra Friday night at 7 p.m. at the Mack Physical Education Center in Hempstead, New York.

For all things regarding the CAA Volleyball Championships, click here.

For the latest on the Delaware volleyball program, follow the Blue Hens on Twitter @DelawareVB and Instagram @delawarevolleyball, and like on Facebook at Delaware Volleyball.

University of Delaware Athletics

Hanus Named CAA Defensive Specialist of the Year, Blue Hens Earn Three Nods to All-CAA Teams

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Ezgi Basaranlar

Maria Bellinger

Andie Hanus

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