Three Ferris State Volleyball Standouts Earn AVCA All-America Honors!
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Big Rapids, Mich. - Three Ferris State University volleyball standouts have garnered American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America honors for the 2019 season as announced on Tuesday by the national coaches' organization.
FSU senior outside hitter Allyson Cappel (Tinley Park, Ill.) claimed AVCA All-America First Team recognition with senior setter Maeve Grimes (Westchester, Ill.) earning All-America Second Team honors and junior hitter Katie O'Connell (Evergreen Park, Ill.) claiming AVCA Honorable Mention All-America kudos.
This year represents the fourth consecutive year in which Cappel has received AVCA All-America accolades, becoming the first player in Bulldog history to garner the distinction four-straight years.
The 38th annual AVCA All-America squads were voted on by head coaches from across the country as part of the AVCA Division II All-America Committee. All three were previously named to the 2019 AVCA All-Midwest Region Team.
The selections of all three brings the total number of All-Americans in Bulldog volleyball history to 21 different individuals. This year represents the ninth time in 10 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 recognition in 2014 and in 2015 the Bulldogs had three honorees in Vander Meer (1st), middle hitter Caroline Heitzman (2nd) and setter Stephanie Sikorski (HM). In 2016, both Sikorski (3rd) and Cappel (HM) were honored while Cappel (HM) and middle hitter Ayanna Buckley (HM) were named in 2017. Last year, Cappel (2nd) and O'Connell (HM) were both honored.
Last year, Cappel joined fellow three-time honoree Patty Theis (1985-87) as the only two players in Bulldog history to earn All-America honors three times in their collegiate careers before becoming the first-ever four-time recipient this year. O'Connell joins FSU's two-time honoree group that also include Kathy O'Connor (1993), Karla Fairbanks (2003-04), Vander Meer (2014-15) and Sikorski (2015-16) as the only Bulldog players to achieve All-America status multiple years in their FSU careers.
Cappel was chosen as the GLIAC Player of the Year for the third-straight season after guiding FSU to the program's sixth-straight league regular-season championship. A four-time All-American, Cappel tallied a team-leading 460 kills along with 343 digs, 37 blocks and 35 aces as FSU's most versatile weapon. She was also chosen as both the AVCA and the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA) Regional Player of the Year this season.
Meanwhile, Grimes compiled 1,257 assists in her third season as the squad's starting setter and added 85 kills with 258 digs and 26 blocks this year. She previously was chosen to the All-GLIAC First Team.
FSU's O'Connell has totaled 316 kills with 407 digs and 52 total blocks in 29 matches this season. Also an All-GLIAC First Team honoree, she totaled 2.90 kills and 3.73 digs per frame this year.
This season, the Bulldogs have compiled a 25-6 overall record and FSU also won a sixth consecutive GLIAC Tournament Championship. Ferris State made its ninth consecutive and 24th all-time NCAA Division II Tournament appearance.