Click Here For AVCA All-America Teams
Courtesy of Rob Bentley, Ferris State Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
AVCA -- Two Ferris State University women's volleyball players have received All-America honors as both sophomore outside hitter Allyson Cappel (Tinley Park, Ill.) and senior middle hitter Ayanna Buckley (Detroit) were tabbed today to the 2017 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Honorable Mention All-America squad.
Both Cappel and Buckley were previously named last week to the 2017 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Midwest Region First Team while Cappel also received first-team recognition from the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA) as chosen by the region's sports information directors.
The 36th 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.
This year represents the second consecutive year in which Cappel has received AVCA All-America Honorable Mention accolades.
The selections of both brings the total number of All-Americans in Bulldog volleyball history to 19 different individuals. This year represents the seventh time in eight 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). Last year, both Sikorski (3rd) and Cappel (HM) were honored.
Cappel joins three-time honoree Patty Theis (1985-87) and two-time honorees 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.
This season, both were also first-team All-GLIAC picks in helping the Bulldogs to both a fourth-straight GLIAC Regular Season Championship along with a fourth consecutive GLIAC Tournament title under head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm. Cappel was chosen as the GLIAC's Player and Attacker of the Year.
This year, Cappel paced the Bulldogs with 395 total kills in 104 sets and added 327 digs, 33 blocks, 22 aces and 13 assists while starting 29 matches.
Meanwhile, Buckley played in 111 sets and 32 outings overall while compiling 307 kills, 99 blocks, 79 digs, 22 aces and six assists. She also hit .273 overall for the year.
FSU will open its seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance this Thursday (Nov. 30) evening as the Bulldogs take on McKendree (Ill.) in the opening round of the big dance in Romeoville, Ill.
Ferris State made its seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament bid and has now advanced to at least the regional semifinals each of the last seven years. FSU's regional appearance this year represented the program's 22nd all-time.
In 2017, FSU closed the year with a 24-8 overall mark and also captured the program's fourth-straight GLIAC Regular Season and Tournament Championships.
This year marked the 16th time in 22 seasons under Brandel-Wilhelm in which FSU has claimed at least 20 victories in a campaign. The Bulldogs also made their 20th consecutive GLIAC Tournament appearance this season.
