Three Huskers Volleyball Players Earn All-American Honors

Mikaela Foecke and Lauren Stivrins were selected to the AVCA First-Team as All-Americans, while Kenzie Maloney made third team honors.

Jon Johnston

Senior Foecke moved up a notch from last year’s selection after getting Second Team honors. This is the first time Stivrins and Maloney earned All-America awards.

Jon Johnston

Nicklin Hames, a freshman setter, earned Honorable Mention, pretty rare air for a setter to gain such recognition as a first-year rookie.

Jon Johnston

Here’s statistical information about our great volleyballers from the Athletic Department press release:

Foecke leads the Huskers with 3.80 kills per set and is averaging 2.69 digs per set and has 43 service aces this season. Her current kills per set average is Nebraska’s best since 2013 (Kelsey Robinson, 4.45). The Husker co-captain was a unanimous All-Big Ten selection for the second straight season. She has 21 aces in her NCAA Tournament career, the second-highest total in Nebraska history. Only Jordan Larson (36) has more. Foecke had the third and fourth double-doubles of her NCAA Tournament career at the Minneapolis Regional last weekend, and she was named the most valuable player. She ranks third on Nebraska’s career kills list with 1,638, and her 132 career aces are eighth-most in school history. The two-time NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player also has 263 career kills all-time in the NCAA Tournament, second-most in school history behind only Sarah Pavan (304).

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. The 6-4 middle blocker is averaging 2.33 kills per set on a team-best .409 hitting percentage, which ranks sixth in the nation. It is NU’s highest individual hitting percentage since 2007 (Tracy Stalls, .473). An All-Big Ten selection for the first time as well this season, Stivrins added serving to her repertoire and has 25 aces. Stivrins was named to the Minneapolis All-Regional team last weekend after 11 kills on .526 hitting in the regional final win over Oregon. She had 13 kills with a career-high 10 blocks in a 3-2 win over Penn State on Nov. 2.

Maloney, the Husker co-captain, is averaging a team-best 4.06 digs per set and has played an instrumental role in leading the Huskers to a nation-leading .136 opponent hitting percentage this season. The Louisville, Kentucky native ranks fifth in NU career history in digs with 1,369. 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 36 service aces are the third-most on the team this year. She and Foecke are the only Huskers in school history to play in four NCAA Semifinals, and they will each play in their 22nd NCAA Tournament match on Thursday, the most postseason matches played by any player in program history.

Hames earned honorable mention after recording a school-record 23 double-doubles this season, averaging 10.46 assists and 3.33 digs per set. Her 39 service aces are second-most on the team. Hames was an All-Big Ten Freshman Team member and a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

Our beloved Husker volleyball team is currently in Minneapolis, getting ready to beat Illinois for a trip to the Championship. The semifinal match will be tomorrow night at 8 pm central. It will be televised on ESPN.

Or you could just get your butt to Target Center in downtown Minneapolis and cheer on the best team ever!