Three Ferris State Volleyball Standouts Earn AVCA All-America Honors!

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Big Rapids, Mich. - A trio of Ferris State University volleyball standouts have been chosen as All-Americans for the 2023 campaign after helping lead FSU to the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen for the third consecutive season.

FSU junior outside hitter Olivia Henneman-Dallape (Oregon, Ohio) was chosen as a 2023 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Second Team honoree while both junior setter Kaylee Maat (Hudsonville) and junior outside hitter Claire Nowicki (Clarkston) received AVCA Honorable Mention All-America accolades.

The 2023 All-America selections were made by the AVCA Division II All-America Committee and include the nation's top standouts on the 42nd annual NCAA Division II All-America listing.

This year represents the second consecutive year in which both Maat and Nowicki have garnered All-America kudos as Maat was a third-team choice a year ago and Nowicki also earned honorable mention laurels last season. This year marks the first time in her collegiate career in which Henneman-Dallape has received All-America recognition.

Previously, all three were named to the AVCA All-Midwest Region squad this year.

Overall, a total of 24 different Bulldog student-athletes in history have now earned AVCA All-America honors. This year represents the 12th time in 13 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.

In the fall of 2021, 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 now includes Kathy O'Connor (1993), Karla Fairbanks (2003-04), Vander Meer (2014-15) and Sikorski (2015-16) along with Maat and Nowicki.

Together, the trio helped lead the Bulldogs to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLAIC) Tournament Championship this year along with the school's 12th consecutive and 27th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance. FSU closed the campaign with a 27-8 overall record this season.