Ferris State's Sikorski & Cappel Garner AVCA D2 Volleyball All-America Accolades
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Big Rapids, Mich. - Two Ferris State University women's volleyball players have claimed All-America accolades for the 2016 campaign as the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced its postseason award recipients today.
Senior setter Stephanie Sikorski (Rochester Hills/Rochester) earned AVCA Division II All-America accolades for the second consecutive year and was a third-team selection this year after earning honorable mention laurels a year ago.
Meanwhile, freshman outside hitter Allyson Cappel (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) received AVCA All-America Honorable Mention recognition and was one of only three rookies in the entire country to garner All-America accolades.
The 36th annual AVCA All-America Teams for NCAA Division II women's volleyball were announced by the All-America Committee following a review process. Previously, both were tabbed as AVCA All-Midwest Region honorees this year.
The selections of all three brings the total number of All-Americans in Bulldog volleyball history to 18 different individuals. This year represents the sixth time in seven years in which FSU has had at least one All-America student-athlete in volleyball. Former Bulldog Arielle Goodson was a second-team recipient in 2010 while Ashley Huntey achieved third team status in 2011 and Lisa Tobiczyk was an honorable mention choice the same year. Middle Hitter Anne Sutton claimed honorable mention accolades in 2012, outside hitter Megan Vander Meer garnered recogntion in 2014 and a year ago the Bulldogs had three honorees in Vander Meer (1st), middle hitter Caroline Heitzman (2nd) and Sikorski.
Sikorski joins three-time honoree Patty Theis (1985-87) and two-time honorees Kathy O'Connor (1993), Karla Fairbanks (2003-04) and Vander Meer (2014-15) as the only Bulldog players to achieve All-America status multiple years in their FSU careers.
This season, Sikorski was chosen as the GLIAC's Player of the Year after leading FSU to a third-straight conference regular-season championship. She also earned GLIAC Setter of the Year laurels and was tabbed to the league's all-tournament team while leading Ferris State to a third-straight league postseason crown.
With Sikorski as the Bulldogs' setter, Ferris State won 26-straight matches prior to falling in the 2016 NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Championship match to Lewis at FSU's Jim Wink Arena. She finished the year with 1,412 assists, 327 digs, 99 kills and 44 blocks. FSU made the NCAA Tournament in all four of her collegiate campaigns and she finished her career as a four-year starter in the Bulldog lineup.
Meanwhile, Cappel had a strong rookie campaign and was previously chosen as the AVCA Midwest Region and GLIAC Freshman of the Year. She joined Sikorski in being named to the D2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-Region Team and was a first-team All-GLIAC choice. Cappel totaled a team-high 434 kills with 395 digs, 67 blocks and 38 aces in her initial season at FSU. She averaged 3.34 kills and 3.04 digs per set.
The Bulldogs, who made the school's sixth-straight and 21st overall NCAA Tournament appearance, finished the 2016 campaign with a 30-6 overall record. FSU won its third-straight GLIAC Regular-Season Championship and claimed the school's third consecutive GLIAC Tournament title while earning the right to host the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Tournament where FSU finished as the regional runner-up for the second-straight year.
This year marked the 15th time in 21 seasons under head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm in which FSU has claimed at least 20 victories in a campaign. The Bulldogs also made their 19th consecutive GLIAC Tournament appearance and hosted the regional tournament for the second consecutive year.