Five Huskers Named to AVCA All-Region Team

LINCOLN - Five members of the Nebraska volleyball team earned AVCA All-North Region honors on Tuesday, matching the most all-region selections by the Husker volleyball team in school history.

Kadie Rolfzen earned her third career honor, while four Huskers - Mikaela Foecke, Kelly Hunter, Amber Rolfzen and Justine Wong-Orantes - earned their first career all-region honors. The last time the Huskers had five players on the all-region first team was 2007. The only other time was 2001. Nebraska tied Florida and Texas for the most all-region first-team selections this season.

All five will be eligible for All-America awards, which will be announced on Wednesday, Dec. 16.

Kadie Rolfzen, a junior outside hitter from Papillion, Neb., is a three-time all-region honoree and will have a chance next year to become the first Husker to receive four all-region honors while at Nebraska since Sarah Pavan (2004 to 2007). A unanimous All-Big Ten selection last week, Rolfzen leads the Huskers with 3.26 kills and 2.79 digs per set. She has 14 double-doubles this season and is on a run of seven straight postseason double-doubles dating back to her freshman season in 2013. 

Her twin sister, Amber, is a newcomer to the AVCA All-Region team. Amber Rolfzen has enjoyed a breakout year after a position switch to middle blocker. The 6-3 junior was an All-Big Ten pick after leading the conference in blocks in the regular season with 1.59 per set, the best block average by a Husker since Melissa Elmer's school-record 2.17 in 2005. Rolfzen is putting up 2.26 kills and hitting .349 on the season, and she is coming off a career-high nine blocks against Harvard in the NCAA Tournament first round. 

Wong-Orantes, a junior libero from Cypress, Calif., is also a first-time honoree. Wong-Orantes was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year last week and averages 4.44 digs per set, which would be the fifth-best single-season mark in school history. Wong-Orantes was second in the Big Ten in digs per set in conference matches (4.57) and ranks fifth in school history in career digs. She has picked up an impressive list of accolades in her junior season, including espnW National Player of the Week on Oct. 7 following a career-high 30 digs at Penn State.

Hunter, a sophomore setter from Papillion, Neb., earns her first all-region honor while leading the Huskers with 11.47 assists per set to rank 12th nationally. Hunter has reached 50 or more assists eight times this season and has nine double-doubles to rank second on the team. She was a two-time Big Ten Setter of the Week in her first season as the Huskers' starting setter. Hunter also contributes 1.01 kills and 2.28 digs per set.

Foecke, a true freshman outside hitter from West Point, Iowa, was named to the AVCA All-Region team and averages 3.03 kills per set with a .275 hitting percentage, the best by an NU hitter. Foecke is second on the team with 23 service aces and was a unanimous selection to the Big Ten All-Freshman team. 

The Huskers will face BYU in the Lexington Regional semifinal at 4 p.m. (CT) on Friday. It will not be televised but will be streamed online at ESPN3.com.

AVCA All-North Region

First Name	Last Name	School	Pos.	Year
Abby	Cole**	Michigan	MB	JR
Mikaela	Foecke	Nebraska	OH	FR
Kaitlyn	Hickey**	IUPUI	OH	SR
Kelly	Hunter	Nebraska	S	SO
Jaelyn	Keene**	Illinois State	MB	SO
Taylor	Pippen	Southern Illinois	MB	SR
Kadie	Rolfzen***	Nebraska	RS	JR
Amber	Rolfzen	Nebraska	MB	JR
Daly	Santana**	Minnesota	OH	SR
Samantha	Seliger-Swenson	Minnesota	S	FR
Hannah	Tapp	Minnesota	MB	JR
Paige	Tapp**	Minnesota	MB	JR
Justine	Wong-Orantes	Nebraska	L	JR
Stephenee	Yancy	UIC	MB	SR

Honorable Mention

First Name	Last Name	School	Pos.	Year
Adreené	Elliott	Maryland	OH	SR
Andrea	Estrada	Southern Illinois	OH	SO
Allyssah	Fitterer	Michigan State	RS	JR
Chloe	Reinig	Michigan State	OH	JR
Ashley	Rosch	Illinois State	OH	SR
Taylor	Tashima	Northwestern	S	SO

Freshman of the Year: Samantha Seliger-Swenson, Minnesota, S

Coach of the Year: Hugh McCutcheon, Minnesota