Four Ferris State Volleyball Standouts Earn AVCA All-Region Kudos As Cappel Claims Region MVP Honor
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Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University women's volleyball squad, which is headed to the NCAA Tournament for the ninth consecutive year and 24th time in school history this week, has been well-represented on the 2019 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Midwest Region Team, which was announced today.
Bulldog senior hitter Allyson Cappel (Tinley Park, Ill.) garnered AVCA All-Region honors for the fourth time in her career and was tabbed as the AVCA Regional Player of the Year in voting by the regional awards committee. She was joined on the first team by senior setter Maeve Grimes (Westchester, Ill.), who claimed AVCA All-Region accolades for the second time in her collegiate career.
The Bulldogs also had two players named to the AVCA Honorable Mention squad in senior outside hitter Courtney Brewer (Muskegon/Mona Shores) along with junior right-side hitter Katie O'Connell (Evergreen Park, Ill.). Brewer garnered regional laurels for the first time while O'Connell claimed the distinction for the second consecutive year.
As all-region standouts, all four players are now also under consideration for AVCA All-America accolades which will be announced next week.
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 three-time All-American, Cappel has tallied a team-leading 443 kills along with 330 digs, 36 blocks and 35 aces as FSU's most versatile weapon entering the NCAA Tournament. She was also chosen as the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA) Regional Player of the Year this season.
Meanwhile, Grimes has compiled 1,215 assists in her third season as the squad's starting setter and added 84 kills with 242 digs and 26 blocks to date this year. She previously was chosen to the All-GLIAC First Team.
FSU's O'Connell has totaled 303 kills with a team-high 392 digs and 49 total blocks in 28 matches this season. Also an All-GLIAC First Team honoree, she's totaled 2.91 kills and 3.77 digs per frame to date this year.
Finally, Brewer was also an all-conference first team choice and has compiled 324 kills to go with 299 digs and 50 blocks in 30 matches this season. Overall, she's averaging 2.97 kills and 2.74 digs a set while hitting .265 overall for the Bulldogs.
This season, the Bulldogs have compiled a 25-5 overall record and FSU also won a sixth consecutive GLIAC Tournament Championship.
Ferris State will make its ninth consecutive and 24th all-time NCAA Division II Tournament appearance this week as the Bulldogs open play in the Midwest Regional as the fourth-seed against fifth-seeded Rockhurst (Mo.) on Thursday (Dec. 5) evening with match time set for 6 p.m. (ET) in Romeoville, Ill.