Nine SSC Players Land on AVCA’s All-America Squad
Nine SSC volleyball players were listed among those earning 2012 AVCA Division II All-America honors, as announced Monday by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
Tampa’s Danielle Selkridge led the way as the lone first-team selection from the SSC. The Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year leads the nation in attack percentage, hitting at an astounding .503 clip entering the NCAA Tournament. The two-time Sports Imports/AVCA Player of the Week leads the Spartans with 368 kills, 27 solo blocks, 74 block assists, 101 total blocks and 433 total points. Selkridge is a three-time AVCA All-American after making the first team a year ago and the second team in 2010.
Eckerd’s Lindsay Biggs and Florida Southern’s Ali Skayhan were tabbed as second-team selections.
A 5-11 outside hitter, Biggs was the team leader in kills with 402 in the regular season. She has maintained a torrid pace in the career record books, notching her 1,000th kill on the road against Florida Tech earlier this season. Biggs also led the team in service aces with 34 and ranked second on the team by averaging 2.94 digs per set. She racked up a season-high 22 kills in separate matches this year against Valdosta State University (Ga.) and Florida Tech. She was selected as an AVCA Third-Team All-American in 2011.
A 6-0 setter for Florida Southern, Skayhan, who was named an Honorable Mention honoree last season, earned AVCA All-South Region honors after leading the Mocs in assists (1,175), service aces (48), digs (372), hitting percentage (.347) and double-doubles (24). On the season, Skayhan, who was named to the Lynn Invitational All-Tournament Team and earned SSC Offensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 24th, recorded two triple-doubles andhad 23 double-digit dig matches and three double-figure kill matches. This is her first AVCA All-American award.
Tampa’s Meagan Burke and Holly Reschke and Eckerd’s Ali McAlvany were third-team All-America honorees.
A 6-2 middle blocker for the Spartans, Burke currently ranks in the top-10 in hitting percentage, attacking at nearly a .400 clip. She helped lead the Spartans to their eighth consecutive season hosting the 2012 NCAA South Regional Tournament. Burke is a first-time AVCA All-American.
A 6-0 outside hitter, Reschke ranks second on the team with 311 kills to go along with her 177 digs and 41 total blocks. Consistency has been the key for Reschke, tallying double-digit kills in 17 matches in the 2012 regular season. The Florida native is an AVCA All-American for the first time.
A 6-0 outside hitter for Eckerd, McAlvany helped lead the Tritons back to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed in the South Region by averaging 3.48 kills per set and adding another 305 digs on the defensive end. McAlvany is a first-time AVCA All-American.
Three other student-athletes received honorable mention. Rollins’ Megan Hodges and Camille Indest, as well as Florida Southern’s Gabby Fernandez, received that nod.
Indest concluded the season averaging 3.19 kills per set, while hitting at a team-best .327 clip. She also led the team with 0.88 (108) blocks per frame and was second on the team in services aces with 23. The 6-0 middle blocker was named a Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week after leading the Tars to a weekend sweep of conference opponents Nova Southeastern and Barry.
Hodges, who was a first-team AVCA All-America selection last year, bounced back from an early-season injury to lead the Tars with 3.72 kills and 0.55 service aces per set. She led the SSC in kills per set and service aces per set and ranked 15thin hitting percentage. Hodges was also named a SSC Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 15.
Fernandez finished second on FSC’s team in kills (322) and service aces (29) and also had 173 digs and 44 blocks. In addition, Fernandez, who has been named a First-Team AVCA All-South Region honoree and earned All-Tournament Team honors as the Western Oregon Classic and SSC Offensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 5, had six double-doubles and 15 double-digit kill matches. She also had eight double-figure dig matches.