BIG RAPIDS — A trio of Ferris State University women’s volleyball standouts have claimed American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America accolades, and the Bulldogs landed two major national awards on the eve of the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, which begins Thursday, Dec. 12 in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Ferris State senior standout Olivia Henneman-Dallape was tabbed as the AVCA National Player of the Year, becoming the first Bulldog player ever to claim the prestigious distinction.
In addition, for the first time in her 30-plus year coaching career, FSU’s Tia Brandel-Wilhelm was chosen as the AVCA Division II National Coach of the Year.
Henneman-Dallape also garnered AVCA All-America First Team honors while senior setter Kaylee Maat was chosen as a AVCA All-America Second Team selection and senior outside hitter Claire Nowicki garnered AVCA Honorable Mention All-America honors.
Both Maat and Nowicki garnered AVCA All-America honors for the third year in a row while Henneman-Dallape earned her second All-America nod. Nowicki is a three-time honorable mention choice while Maat previously garnered third-team recognition in 2022 along with honorable mention accolades last year.
Henneman-Dallape was a second-team choice a year ago in 2023 before earning first-team status this campaign.
Together, the three FSU standouts have helped lead the Bulldogs to the NCAA Division II National Quarterfinals, where top-seeded Ferris State will face eighth-seeded Bentley (Mass.) in the Elite Eight on Thursday night at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls.
This year, behind the play of the three All-Americans and under Brandel-Wilhelm’s leadership, the Bulldogs captured the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Regular Season and Tournament Championships along with the NCAA D2 Midwest Regional title. FSU is currently a nation-best 34-0 overall this year heading into the D2 Elite Eight.
