SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—One of the best regular seasons in Summit League history was recognized this week by the coaches, media and sports information directors who selected The Summit League women's basketball awards. The winners were announced Thursday at a press conference at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center ahead of this week's Summit League Tournament.
 
Senior Ciara Duffy was named Player of the Year, junior Hannah Sjerven was named Defensive Player of the Year, senior Taylor Frederick was selected Sixth Woman of the Year, and Dawn Plitzuweit earned her third consecutive Coach of the Year award. It marked the first time since 2011 that one team swept these four major awards.
 
Duffy and Sjerven are two of six named first team All-Summit League. Junior Chloe Lamb is a second-team honoree. Frederick and senior Madison McKeever received honorable mention.
 
The Coyotes are the only team in Summit history to total five players on the first team, second team or honorable mention squad and this marks the second occurrence. The first was two years ago following South Dakota's first undefeated run in conference play.
 
Duffy is the second Coyote to be named Summit Player of the Year (Nicole Seekamp, 2016). She is also the 16^th player in Summit League history named to the first team three times. Seekamp and Allison Arens are the other Coyotes on that list. South Dakota had six North Central Conference Players of the Year.
 
Sjerven and Lamb are all-conference performers one year after receiving honorable mention. McKeever has been named honorable mention twice in the last three seasons.
 
Plitzuweit's Coyotes, 27-2 overall and 16-0 in the Summit, have achieved the highest national ranking bestowed upon a Summit League team. South Dakota is No. 17 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 12 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. The Coyotes won those 16 conference games by an average of 32 points.
 
USD is the No. 1 seed in this week's Summit League Tournament and opens play at noon Saturday against eighth-seeded Omaha (7-22, 2-14).
 
More on each of South Dakota's honorees follows:
 
Duffy hails from Rapid City, South Dakota. She is a semifinalist for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of Year after leading the Summit in assists (5.2 apg) and ranked third in scoring at 17.1 points per game. She is shooting 51 percent from the field, 45 percent from 3-point range and 81 percent from the free-throw line. She also ranks second on the team in rebounding (5.6 rpg) and is third in steals (1.3 spg). She's the only player in USD history with more than 1,700 points, 600 rebounds and 400 assists in her career.
 
Sjerven hails from Rogers, Minnesota. She is the Coyotes' leading rebounder (7.1 rpg) and second-leading scorer at 11.9 points per game. She is the most accurate shooter in the league at 57.5 percent. Defensively, Sjerven leads the Summit with 54 blocked shots and her 41 steals rank second on the team and 12th in the conference. She ranks fifth on USD's all-time blocks list with 117. She becomes the third-straight Coyote to garner Defensive Player of the Year with USD leading the league in scoring defense the past three years.
 
Lamb is a native of Onida, South Dakota. She is USD's third-leading scorer at 11.3 points per game and top 3-point threat. She's the Summit's most accurate shooter from beyond the arc at nearly 47 percent and her 51 triples rank third overall. Lamb ranks second on the team in assists with 58 and her 36 steals rank fourth.
 
Frederick is from Harlan, Iowa. She moved into a reserve role this season and as a response averages more points per minute than any player in the Summit. Her 10 points per game average is a career best as is her marks for rebounds (4.4 rpg) and shooting (55 percent). Frederick also has 32 assists, 15 steals and seven blocks. She extends USD's streak of Sixth Woman of the Year to four-straight.
 
McKeever is the pride of Erskine, Minnesota. She is a three-year starter who ranks fourth on the program's all-time steals list with 222. She has a team-high 53 thefts this year to go with 56 assists and six blocks. She is averaging a career-best 8.9 points per game with 3.2 rebounds per game.
 
2020 Summit League Women's Basketball Awards
 
Player of the Year
Ciara Duffy, South Dakota
 
Defensive Player of the Year
Hannah Sjerven, South Dakota
 
Sixth Woman of the Year
Taylor Frederick, South Dakota
 
Newcomer of the Year
Evan Zars, Western Illinois
 
Freshman of the Year
Tori Nelson, South Dakota State
 
Coach of the Year
Dawn Plitzuweit, South Dakota
 
First Team All-League
Paiton Burckhard, South Dakota State
Ciara Duffy, South Dakota
Olivia Kaufmann, Western Illinois
Keni Jo Lippe, Oral Roberts
Madison Nelson, Denver
Hannah Sjerven, South Dakota
 
Second Team All-League
Julia Fleecs, North Dakota
Chloe Lamb, South Dakota
Tagyn Larson, South Dakota State
Lauren Loven, Denver
Mariah Murdie, Omaha
 
Honorable Mention All-League
Montserrat Brotons, Oral Roberts
Taylor Frederick, South Dakota
Michelle Gaislerova, North Dakota State
Madison McKeever, South Dakota
Rylie Torrey, Oral Roberts
 
All-Newcomer Team
Ryan Cobbins, North Dakota State
Jentry Holt, Oral Roberts
Tori Nelson, South Dakota State
Riley Ott, Purdue Fort Wayne
Evan Zars, Western Illinois