Official D2 CCA Volleyball All-Region Release
D2CCA - Ferris State junior Allyson Cappel was selected to the 2018 D2CCA Midwest All-Region First Team following voting conducted by the region's sports information directors. Four other GLIAC standouts were honored on the Second Team: Michigan Tech's Olivia Ghormley and Laura DeMarchi, Davenport's Ashley VanderHorst and Ferris State's Katie Placek.
Cappel was named to the D2CCCA All-Region squad for the third time in her career, including the second-straight season as a first-team choice. Cappel was chosen as the GLIAC Player of the Year for the second-straight season after guiding FSU to the program's fifth-straight league regular-season championship. A two-time All-American, Cappel has tallied a team-leading 356 kills along with 368 digs, 46 blocks and 23 aces as FSU's most versatile weapon. The three-time all-league honoree has helped guide FSU to a 26-4 overall record and the Bulldogs went a perfect 16-0 in the GLIAC, which represented their first unblemished mark in league action since 1990. Cappel has posted 26 double-figure efforts in kills this season and tallied 10 digs or more in 24 outings to date this season.
Ghormley stands with 510 kills and an average of 4.64 kills per set while hitting .241 on the year. Ghormley, who was named the GLIAC Attacker of the Year and was selected to the All-GLIAC First Team, finished with double-digit kills in 27 matches this year and recorded 20 or more kills in seven matches. A three-time GLIAC North Division Player of the Week selection, Ghormley has been an impact player for the Huskies on defense with 79 digs and 39 total blocks.
DeMarchi posted 1,224 assists and an average of 11.77 assists per set to earn Second Team honors. Named GLIAC Setter of the Year and All-GLIAC First Team, DeMarchi recorded more than 50 assists in a match eight times this season, and totaled 17 double-doubles on the year. A GLIAC North Division Player of the Week and Sports Imports/AVCA Division II National Player of the Week honoree, DeMarchi has also been an important contributor on defense with 295 digs and an average of 2.84 digs per set, and in service with 22 aces.
Placek has capped off a stellar career as one of the country's top performers in her first year in the role for the Bulldogs. A four-year letterwinner, Placek was chosen as the GLIAC's Libero of the Year after pacing the Bulldogs with 534 digs while becoming a member of the school's 1,000 career digs club. She's averaged 5.09 digs per set this campaign in helping the Bulldogs to a 26-4 overall record and a fifth-straight GLIAC Championship.
VanderHorst finished the 2018 season with 291 kills, hit .307, 31 service aces, 99 digs, and 150 total blocks. For her davenport career, she ranks second in program history in block assists with 412, second in total blocks with 452, third in blocks per set with 0.97, sixth in kills with 1,024, and sixth in attack percentage with .242.
The Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) encourages and promotes Division II athletics and high standards of sportsmanship as important elements of higher education. The CCA is a key communications link among the conferences as they discuss views, policies, and regulations that impact Division II intercollegiate athletics and works closely with the NCAA as a communications channel to NCAA Division II member colleges and universities.
