Volleyball Leads Nation With Program-Record Five AVCA All-Americans
12/18/2024 10:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Kendra Wait, Norah Sis, Ava Martin, Maddy Bilinovic and Elise Goetzinger recognized
OMAHA, Neb. -- Creighton Volleyball saw the American Volleyball Coaches Association recognize a program-record and nation-leading five Bluejay student-athletes with All-America honors on Wednesday. Kendra Wait became the program's first player to earn First Team All-America honors, Norah Sis the first player to obtain Second Team All-America accolades, and Ava Martin landed Third Team All-America plaudits. Additionally, Maddy Bilinovic and Elise Goetzinger both were named Honorable Mention All-Americans.
Creighton was the only school with five women to be recognized, as well as the only program to place at least one woman on the First Team, Second Team and Third Team. Other teams with four All-America honorees were Final Four qualifiers Louisville, Nebraska, Pittsburgh and Penn State, as well as Big 12 champion Arizona State.
Creighton and Marquette were the only BIG EAST Conference schools to be represented in the 2024 honors, as MU's Yadhira Anchante was an Honorable Mention pick.
This year marks the 13th straight season that Creighton has had at least one All-American, with multiple All-Americans in nine of the past 10 campaigns. The only other schools with multiple All-Americans each of the past four years are now Creighton, Kentucky, Louisville, Nebraska, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Stanford and Wisconsin. CU's five All-Americans are two more than its previous high of three done in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021.
Each of the three AVCA All-America Teams is comprised of 14 athletes. The Division I AVCA National Player of the Year will be announced on Friday at the AVCA All-America/Players of the Year Banquet. The AVCA selected just 56 student-athletes as AVCA All-America Honorable Mention.
Wait makes history as the first Creighton Volleyball player to earn AVCA All-America accolades four times, having previously been a Third Team pick in 2023 and an Honorable Mention choice in 2021 and 2022. She repeated as BIG EAST Player of the Year and BIG EAST Setter of the Year in 2024 as the Gardner, Kan., product led the BIG EAST in assists per set (10.97) for the fourth straight season, good for 12th nationally. The four-time All-BIG EAST honoree's setting helped Creighton establish a program record for hitting percentage (.324), the second-best mark in the country.Â
Sis ranked second in the BIG EAST in both kills per set (3.78) and points per set (4.50) as well as being third with 0.45 service aces per set. The Papillion, Neb., product finished her career second in CU history in career kills (1,664) and fifth in aces (113). This is the third AVCA All-America honor for Sis, as she was named a Third Team All-American as a freshman in 2021 and an Honorable Mention pick in 2022 following her sophomore campaign. The four-time All-BIG EAST pick joins Kelli Browning (2012, 2013, 2014) and Jaali Winters (2015, 2016, 2018) as the only Bluejays to own exactly three AVCA All-America certificates.
A junior outside hitter from Overland Park, Kan., Martin owned 428 kills (3.66 kps.) and her 56 aces were second-most in program history. In BIG EAST play, Martin led the league in aces per set while ranking second in hitting percentage, points per set and kills per set. Martin earned her third consecutive All-BIG EAST recognition and second All-America plaudit after being an Honorable Mention choice last fall. She was one of two Bluejays named to the All-Tournament Team at last weekend's Penn State Regional.
Bilinovic's lone year in a Bluejay uniform was a memorable one, as the senior libero from Independence, Ohio, paced the Bluejays with 440 digs and was fourth on the team with 32 service aces. With Bilinovic serving as the quarterback of the Bluejay defense, CU allowed teams to hit just .130 this season, the nation's second-best figure. This is Bilinovic's first career All-America honor.
Goetzinger was awarded Honorable Mention status after averaging 2.40 kills and 1.06 blocks per set in her only season at Creighton. Her BIG EAST-leading .376 attack percentage is the second-best mark in CU single-season history and good enough for the Blue Mounds, Wis., native to set the Creighton career mark in that category.
Bilinovic and Goetzinger are the only players in program history to be named an All-American in their lone year at Creighton.
Creighton now owns 34 all-time AVCA All-America accolades in program history, which have been earned by 18 different women.
Creighton finished the 2024 season in the Elite Eight on Sunday with a 32-3 overall record after making its 13th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Bluejays won their 11th straight BIG EAST regular-season title while also capturing their 10th league tournament title in the past 11 campaigns.
The selections were made by the AVCA Division I All-America Committee: Chair: Matt Ulmer (Oregon); East Coast Region: Kimberly Lambert (Delaware); Midwest Region: Kelli Miller Phillips (Ball State); Central Region: Christy Johnson-Lynch (Iowa State); Northwest Region: Leanne Williamson (South Dakota); North Region: Caitlin Schwihofer (Rutgers); Pacific Region: Branden Higa (Cal Baptist); Southeast Region: Jackie Simpson Kirr (Clemson); South Region: Eve Rackham (Tennessee); Southwest Region: JT Wenger (UT Arlington).
CREIGHTON'S AVCA FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICANS
Kendra Wait - 2024
CREIGHTON'S AVCA SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICANS
Norah Sis - 2024
CREIGHTON'S AVCA THIRD TEAM ALL-AMERICANS
Kelli Browning - 2014
Lydia Dimke - 2016
Ava Martin - 2024
Norah Sis - 2021
Kendra Wait - 2023
Jaali Winters - 2015, '18
Brittany Witt - 2019
CREIGHTON'S AVCA HONORABLE MENTION ALL-AMERICANS
Maddy Bilinovic - 2024
Megan Bober - 2010, '12
Kelli Browning - 2012, '13
Madelyn Cole - 2018, '19
Lydia Dimke - 2017
Kelly Goc - 2007
Elise Goetzinger - 2024
Jessica Houts - 2008
Taryn Kloth - 2016, '18
Ava Martin - 2023
Michelle Sicner - 2013
Norah Sis - 2022
Lauren Smith - 2015
Kendra Wait - 2021, 2022
Marysa Wilkinson - 2017
Jaali Winters - 2016
Brittany Witt - 2017
Jaela Zimmerman - 2020, 2021
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Creighton was the only school with five women to be recognized, as well as the only program to place at least one woman on the First Team, Second Team and Third Team. Other teams with four All-America honorees were Final Four qualifiers Louisville, Nebraska, Pittsburgh and Penn State, as well as Big 12 champion Arizona State.
Creighton and Marquette were the only BIG EAST Conference schools to be represented in the 2024 honors, as MU's Yadhira Anchante was an Honorable Mention pick.
This year marks the 13th straight season that Creighton has had at least one All-American, with multiple All-Americans in nine of the past 10 campaigns. The only other schools with multiple All-Americans each of the past four years are now Creighton, Kentucky, Louisville, Nebraska, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Stanford and Wisconsin. CU's five All-Americans are two more than its previous high of three done in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021.
Each of the three AVCA All-America Teams is comprised of 14 athletes. The Division I AVCA National Player of the Year will be announced on Friday at the AVCA All-America/Players of the Year Banquet. The AVCA selected just 56 student-athletes as AVCA All-America Honorable Mention.
Wait makes history as the first Creighton Volleyball player to earn AVCA All-America accolades four times, having previously been a Third Team pick in 2023 and an Honorable Mention choice in 2021 and 2022. She repeated as BIG EAST Player of the Year and BIG EAST Setter of the Year in 2024 as the Gardner, Kan., product led the BIG EAST in assists per set (10.97) for the fourth straight season, good for 12th nationally. The four-time All-BIG EAST honoree's setting helped Creighton establish a program record for hitting percentage (.324), the second-best mark in the country.Â
Sis ranked second in the BIG EAST in both kills per set (3.78) and points per set (4.50) as well as being third with 0.45 service aces per set. The Papillion, Neb., product finished her career second in CU history in career kills (1,664) and fifth in aces (113). This is the third AVCA All-America honor for Sis, as she was named a Third Team All-American as a freshman in 2021 and an Honorable Mention pick in 2022 following her sophomore campaign. The four-time All-BIG EAST pick joins Kelli Browning (2012, 2013, 2014) and Jaali Winters (2015, 2016, 2018) as the only Bluejays to own exactly three AVCA All-America certificates.
A junior outside hitter from Overland Park, Kan., Martin owned 428 kills (3.66 kps.) and her 56 aces were second-most in program history. In BIG EAST play, Martin led the league in aces per set while ranking second in hitting percentage, points per set and kills per set. Martin earned her third consecutive All-BIG EAST recognition and second All-America plaudit after being an Honorable Mention choice last fall. She was one of two Bluejays named to the All-Tournament Team at last weekend's Penn State Regional.
Bilinovic's lone year in a Bluejay uniform was a memorable one, as the senior libero from Independence, Ohio, paced the Bluejays with 440 digs and was fourth on the team with 32 service aces. With Bilinovic serving as the quarterback of the Bluejay defense, CU allowed teams to hit just .130 this season, the nation's second-best figure. This is Bilinovic's first career All-America honor.
Goetzinger was awarded Honorable Mention status after averaging 2.40 kills and 1.06 blocks per set in her only season at Creighton. Her BIG EAST-leading .376 attack percentage is the second-best mark in CU single-season history and good enough for the Blue Mounds, Wis., native to set the Creighton career mark in that category.
Bilinovic and Goetzinger are the only players in program history to be named an All-American in their lone year at Creighton.
Creighton now owns 34 all-time AVCA All-America accolades in program history, which have been earned by 18 different women.
Creighton finished the 2024 season in the Elite Eight on Sunday with a 32-3 overall record after making its 13th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Bluejays won their 11th straight BIG EAST regular-season title while also capturing their 10th league tournament title in the past 11 campaigns.
The selections were made by the AVCA Division I All-America Committee: Chair: Matt Ulmer (Oregon); East Coast Region: Kimberly Lambert (Delaware); Midwest Region: Kelli Miller Phillips (Ball State); Central Region: Christy Johnson-Lynch (Iowa State); Northwest Region: Leanne Williamson (South Dakota); North Region: Caitlin Schwihofer (Rutgers); Pacific Region: Branden Higa (Cal Baptist); Southeast Region: Jackie Simpson Kirr (Clemson); South Region: Eve Rackham (Tennessee); Southwest Region: JT Wenger (UT Arlington).
CREIGHTON'S AVCA FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICANS
Kendra Wait - 2024
CREIGHTON'S AVCA SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICANS
Norah Sis - 2024
CREIGHTON'S AVCA THIRD TEAM ALL-AMERICANS
Kelli Browning - 2014
Lydia Dimke - 2016
Ava Martin - 2024
Norah Sis - 2021
Kendra Wait - 2023
Jaali Winters - 2015, '18
Brittany Witt - 2019
CREIGHTON'S AVCA HONORABLE MENTION ALL-AMERICANS
Maddy Bilinovic - 2024
Megan Bober - 2010, '12
Kelli Browning - 2012, '13
Madelyn Cole - 2018, '19
Lydia Dimke - 2017
Kelly Goc - 2007
Elise Goetzinger - 2024
Jessica Houts - 2008
Taryn Kloth - 2016, '18
Ava Martin - 2023
Michelle Sicner - 2013
Norah Sis - 2022
Lauren Smith - 2015
Kendra Wait - 2021, 2022
Marysa Wilkinson - 2017
Jaali Winters - 2016
Brittany Witt - 2017
Jaela Zimmerman - 2020, 2021
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| 2024 AVCA DIVISION I ALL-AMERICANS | ||||
| First-Team All-Americans | ||||
| First Name | Last Name | School | Pos. | Class |
| Olivia | Babcock | University of Pittsburgh | RS | So. |
| Brooklyn | DeLeye | University of Kentucky | OH | So. |
| Rachel | Fairbanks | University of Pittsburgh | S | Sr. |
| Sarah | Franklin | University of Wisconsin | OH | Sr. |
| Andi | Jackson | University of Nebraska | MB | So. |
| Kennedy | Martin | University of Florida | RS | So. |
| Kami | Miner | Stanford University | S | Sr. |
| Jess | Mruzik | Penn State University | OH | Gr. |
| Melanie | Parra | TCU | OH | Sr. |
| Lexi | Rodriguez | University of Nebraska | L | Sr. |
| Elia | Rubin | Stanford University | OH | Jr. |
| Elena | Scott | University of Louisville | L | Sr. |
| Torrey | Stafford | University of Pittsburgh | OH | So. |
| Kendra | Wait | Creighton University | S | Sr. |
| Second-Team All-Americans | ||||
| First Name | Last Name | School | Pos. | Class |
| Nina | Cajic | University of Tennessee | OH | Gr. |
| Raven | Colvin | Purdue University  | MB | Sr. |
| Mimi | Colyer | University of Oregon | OH | Jr. |
| Anna | DeBeer | University of Louisville | OH | Gr. |
| Sami | Francis | Stanford University | MB | Sr. |
| Emma | Grome | University of Kentucky | S | Sr. |
| Eva | Hudson | Purdue University  | OH | Jr. |
| Bre | Kelley | University of Pittsburgh | MB | RS-Jr. |
| Logan | Lednicky | Texas A&M University | RS | Jr. |
| Harper | Murray | University of Nebraska | OH | So. |
| Bergen | Reilly | University of Nebraska | S | So. |
| Norah | Sis | Creighton University | OH | Sr. |
| Madisen | Skinner | University of Texas | OH | Sr. |
| Izzy | Starck | Penn State University | S | Fr. |
| Third-Team All-Americans | ||||
| First Name | Last Name | School | Pos. | Class |
| Lexie | Almodovar | University of Dayton | OH | RS-Sr. |
| Charlie | Fuerbringer | University of Wisconsin | S | Fr. |
| Flormarie | Heredia Colon | University of Miami | OH | Jr. |
| Audrey | Koenig | Florida State University | OH | Sr. |
| Khori | Louis | Florida State University | MB | Sr. |
| Ava | Martin | Creighton University | OH | Jr. |
| Onye | Ofoegbu | University of Oregon | MBÂ | RS-Sr. |
| Alexis | Shelton | University of Oklahoma | OH | Jr. |
| Naya | Shime | Southern Methodist University | RS | Gr. |
| Raina | Terry | University of Illinois | OH | Gr. |
| Mia | Tuaniga | University of Southern California | S | Sr. |
| Camryn | Turner | University of Kansas  | S | Sr. |
| Argentina | Ung | Arizona State University | S | Gr. |
| Mychael | Vernon | University of Missouri | OH | Gr. |
| Honorable Mention | ||||
| First Name | Last Name | School | Pos. | Class |
| Caylen | Alexander | University of Hawaii | OH | Jr. |
| Yadhira | Anchante | Marquette University | S | Gr. |
| Maria Clara | Andrade | University of South Florida | OH | Jr. |
| Ally | Batenhorst | University of Southern California | OH | Gr. |
| Milan | Bayless | Colgate University | OH | So. |
| Bianca | Bertolino | Georgia Tech | OH | Sr. |
| Maddy | Bilinovic | Creighton University | L | Sr. |
| Kamryn | Chaney | Princeton University | OH | So. |
| Syd | Cole | University of Northern Colorado | S | Gr. |
| Ifenna | Cos-Okpalla | Texas A&M University | MB | Jr. |
| Kaylee | Cox | Western Kentucky University | OH | Sr. |
| Cara | Cresse | University of Louisville | MB | RS-Jr. |
| Celia | Cullen | Southern Methodist University | S | Gr. |
| Geli | Cyr | Arizona State University | OH | Sr. |
| Macy | Daufeldt | Drake University | OH | Jr. |
| Alexa | Edwards | University of the Pacific | OH | Gr. |
| Skye | Ekes | Mercer University | OH | Sr. |
| Kira | Fallert | University of Northern Iowa | OH | Sr. |
| Brianna | Ford | University of Texas Arlington | RS | Gr. |
| Elena | Giacomini | Quinnipiac University | RS | Gr. |
| Kamryn | Gibadlo | University of Utah | OH | So. |
| Elise | Goetzinger | Creighton University | MB | Sr. |
| Camryn | Hannah | Penn State University | OH | Gr. |
| Julia | Hanson | University of Minnesota | OH | Jr. |
| Tori | Hester | Troy University | OH | Sr. |
| Cicily | Hidalgo | Southeastern Louisiana University | OH | Sr. |
| Lauryn | Hovey | Bowling Green State University | RS | Jr. |
| Tsvetelina | Ilieva | Binghamton University | OH | Sr. |
| Jordan | Iliff | University of Missouri | RS | Sr. |
| Madolyn | Isringhausen | Tennessee Tech University | OH | Sr. |
| Claire | Jeter | Arizona State University | MB | Gr. |
| Malaya | Jones | Colorado State University | RS | RS-Sr. |
| Shelby | Kent | Florida Gulf Coast University | OH | Sr. |
| Caroline | Kerr | University of Tennessee | S | RS-So. |
| Patrycja | Lagida | Chicago State University | OH | So. |
| Cheridyn | Leverette | UCLA | OH | Jr. |
| Claire | Little | Brigham Young University | OH | So. |
| Grace | Lopez | University of Miami | OH | So. |
| Charitie | Luper | University of Louisville | OH | Sr. |
| Dylan | Maberry | High Point University | OH | Gr. |
| Elise | McGhee | Baylor University | OH | Sr. |
| Rya | McKinnon | Howard University | OH | Jr. |
| Michelle | Ohwobete | University of Oregon | OH | Sr. |
| Toyosi | Onabanjo | University of Kansas  | MB | Sr. |
| Kylee | Owens | Prairie View A&M University | OH | Jr. |
| Panna | Ratkai | Purdue University Fort Wayne | OH | RS-So. |
| Amanda | Rice | North Carolina State University | RS | Sr. |
| Maya | Sands | University of Missouri | L | Jr. |
| Melani | Shaffmaster | University of Minnesota | SÂ | RS-Sr. |
| Mary | Shroll | Arizona State University | L | Gr. |
| Taylor | Trammell | Penn State University | MB | Sr. |
| Nia | Washington | University of Mississippi | OH | Jr. |
| Kaya | Weaver | University of Texas El Paso | MB | Jr. |
| Riley | Whitesides | University of South Carolina | OH | Gr. |
| Sylvie | Zgonc | South Dakota State University | OH | So. |
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Players Mentioned
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