Former Ramstein volleyball star Sarah Szybist recently completed an outstanding freshman season at the college level. The 2013 Ramstein graduate, now an outside hitter at Rochester Institute of Technology, has netted a number of awards in recognition of her collegiate debut, including: • American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III All-America honorable mention • AVCA New York Region Rookie of the Year • AVCA All-Region team • Liberty League Rookie of the Year • All-Liberty League first team Szybist recorded 590 kills in 2013, the fourth-highest season total ever produced at RIT. She recorded 10 or more kills in 30 of the 34 matches she played. Her average of 4.72 kills per set placed her fourth in Division III, while her 5.32 points-per-set average ranked fourth in the division. Szybist’s 38-kill effort Oct. 15 against SUNY-Cortland was the signle-game high for Division III. The Chicago native earned five Liberty League Rookie of the Week awards over the course of the season, earned Liberty League Player of the Week honors on Sept. 16 and collected several all-tournament awards. In an article on the RIT website, head coach Jim Lodes called Szybist “a wonderful addition” to the Tiger roster. “She often went beyond what was expected,” Lodes said. “Sarah should be an integral factor in us becoming a regional contender in the near future.” Szybist earned first-team All-Europe honors and led the Royals to a Division I championship as a Ramstein senior.