Ferris State's Kaylee Maat and Claire Nowicki Earn AVCA All-America Volleyball Honors!

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Big Rapids, Mich. - Two Ferris State University volleyball standouts, sophomore setter Kaylee Maat (Hudsonville) and right-side hitter Claire Nowicki (Clarkston), have been honored as American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America selections.

Maat was tabbed to the AVCA All-America Third Team while Nowicki garnered AVCA Honorable Mention All-America recognition as announced by the national coaches' organization on Wednesday. The 2022 All-America selections were made by the AVCA Division II All-America committee and represent the 41st annual All-America teams for NCAA Division II women's volleyball.

Previously, both earned all-region recognition for the 2022 campaign as both were chosen to the AVCA All-Midwest Region First Team while Maat also received Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA) All-Midwest Region Second Team recognition.

Overall, a total of 23 different Bulldog student-athletes in history have now earned AVCA All-America honors. This year represents the 11th time in 12 years, outside of the 2021 spring COVID season, 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 Allyson Cappel (HM) were honored while Cappel (HM) and middle hitter Ayanna Buckley (HM) were named in 2017. In 2018, Cappel (2nd) and outside hitter Katie O'Connell (HM) were both honored with both also named to the squad in 2019 along with setter Maeve Grimes.

Last year, O'Connell became only the third Bulldog player ever to earn the distinction three times in her career. Cappel became FSU's only four-time honoree in 2019 and former standout Patty Theis (1985-87) was also a three-time recipient. FSU's two-time honoree group includes Kathy O'Connor (1993), Karla Fairbanks (2003-04), Vander Meer (2014-15) and Sikorski (2015-16).

Together, Maat and Nowicki helped lead the Bulldogs to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Regular Season and Tournament Championships this past year along with a trip to the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen and the Midwest Regional Championship match. FSU closed the year with a 26-10 overall record and went 16-2 in GLIAC regular-season play.

This fall, Maat compiled 1,490 total assists while averaging 10.9 assists per set in 36 contests for the Bulldogs. She also added 371 digs and a team-high 77 service aces for FSU.

Meanwhile, Nowicki tallied 386 kills to go with 409 digs, 70 blocks and 40 aces in 36 outings during the 2022 season. She posted a .262 attack percentage and totaled 2.82 kills along with 2.99 digs per set.

In addition to Maat and Nowicki, the bulk of the Bulldog playing rotation from this fall is set to return next season.