Three Huskers Named to AVCA All-Region Team

LINCOLN, Neb. - Three Nebraska volleyball student-athletes were named to the AVCA All-North Region Team on Tuesday.

Mikaela Foecke, Kenzie Maloney and Lauren Stivrins were named to the All-Region Team, while Nicklin Hames received honorable mention. The three Huskers are now eligible for AVCA All-America awards, which will be announced next week. Last week, Foecke, Maloney and Stivrins were also named to the All-Big Ten Team.

Foecke earned her fourth straight AVCA All-Region honor, becoming the third Husker in program history to earn four all-region honors, joining Sarah Pavan and Kadie Rolfzen The senior outside hitter from West Point, Iowa leads the Huskers with 3.74 kills per set and adds 2.63 digs per set with a team-high 42 service aces this season. Her current kills per set average is Nebraska’s best since 2013 (Kelsey Robinson, 4.45). The two-time NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player was named Big Ten Player of the Week four times this season, and she has climbed to No. 4 on Nebraska's career kills list and is No. 8 in career aces. Foecke was an AVCA Second-Team All-American last year and is one of 10 NCAA Senior CLASS Award finalists this year. 

Maloney, a senior libero, was selected to the AVCA All-Region Team for the first time. The Husker co-captain is averaging a team-best 4.07 digs per set and has played an instrumental role in leading the Huskers to a nation-leading .132 opponent hitting percentage this season. The Louisville, Kentucky native ranks sixth in NU career history in digs. Maloney posted a career-high 25 digs twice this season, and she was named the most valuable player of the Husker Invite and the best libero at the Ameritas Players Challenge. Maloney's 35 service aces are the third-most on the team this year.

Stivrins, a sophomore middle blocker, also earned her first career AVCA All-Region honor. Stivrins was a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and was also the Big Ten Player of the Week once this season. Stivrins is averaging 2.29 kills per set on a team-best .411 hitting percentage, which ranks fifth in the nation. It is NU's highest individual hitting percentage since 2007 (Tracy Stalls, .473). Stivrins added serving to her repertoire this season and has 25 aces. 

Hames a 5-10 setter from Maryville, Tennessee, made the All-Big Ten Freshman Team and received all-region honorable mention after averaging 10.32 assists and 3.28 digs per set this season. She also ranks second on the team in aces with 38. Hames has a team-high 21 double-doubles, the second-most by a Husker in the rally-scoring era, trailing only Jordan Larson’s 22 double-doubles in 2006. Hames was a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week this season.

NORTH REGION

Name	School	Pos.	Year
Mikaela Foecke****	Nebraska	OH	Sr.
Alexis Hart***	Minnesota	OH	Jr.
Jenna Lerg	Michigan	L	Sr.
Kenzie Maloney	Nebraska	L	Sr.
Taylor Morgan	Minnesota	MB	RS-Jr.
Courtney Pence	Illinois State	L	Sr.
Regan Pittman	Minnesota	MB	RS-So.
Erika Pritchard	Maryland	OH	So.
Adanna Rollins	Minnesota	OH	Fr.
Stephanie Samedy**	Minnesota	RS	So.
Samantha Seliger-Swenson****	Minnesota	S	Sr.
Carly Skjodt**	Michigan	OH	Sr.
Lauren Stivrins	Nebraska	MB	So.
Jordan Thompson**	Cincinnati	OH	RS-Jr.

HONORABLE MENTION

Name	School	Pos.	Year
Giorgia Civita	Wichita State	L	So.
Nicklin Hames	Nebraska	S	Fr.
Stef Jankiewicz	Illinois State	S	So.
Paige Jones	Michigan	OH	Fr.
Nia Robinson	Northwestern	OH	So.
Taylor Wolf	Wisconsin Green-Bay	MB	OH

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

Freshman of the Year: Adanna Rollins, Minnesota, OH

Coach of the Year: Hugh McCutcheon, Minnesota