Four Huskies named AVCA All-Americans
12/7/2021 12:00:00 PM | Volleyball
LEXINGTON, KY. - It was a banner year for the St. Cloud State University volleyball team. The Huskies won their first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) regular season title since 1982 and their first NSIC Tournament crown in program history. They additionally set program records for best win percentage (.818) and tied a school record for fewest losses (5) in a single-season en route to a second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Regional. It should come as no surprise that four St. Cloud State student-athletes were honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Tuesday afternoon, as Kenzie Foley (Sergeant Bluff, Iowa / Sergeant Bluff-Luton), Maddy Torve (Loretto, Minn. / Heritage Christian Academy), Linsey Rachel (Maple Lake, Minn. / Maple Lake) and Phebie Rossi (Rapid City, S.D. / Stevens) were named to the organization's All-America teams.
Foley and Torve received First Team All-America nods after historic seasons, while both Rachel and Rossi were named All-America Honorable Mention. It marks the most All-America honorees in program history for the Huskies, as no more than two student-athletes have ever earned the honor in the same calendar season.
Foley and Torve made plenty of history in 2021, and they made a little more Tuesday afternoon. The duo became the first St. Cloud State student-athletes to earn First Team All-America honors from the AVCA and are the first to garner First or Second Team honors since 1996. Both also add to an impressive list of awards they have accumulated this season, as Foley and Torve were named First Team All-NSIC, AVCA First Team All-Central Region, D2CCA First Team All-Region, and NSIC All-Tournament honors earlier this year.
Foley made quite the debut in her first season of collegiate volleyball, as she was named the NSIC and AVCA Central Region Freshman of the Year. The redshirt freshman from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa took the NSIC and Central Region by storm, racking up 451 kills on 994 swings for a .295 hitting percentage. She additionally closed the season with 350 digs and 68.0 blocks, making her one of the best six-rotation players in all of Division II. Foley ranked top-25 in the nation in both kills per set (3.92) and points per set (4.43) before the NCAA Regional and was top-5 in the NSIC in both categories.
Torve was the best setter in the NSIC from the start of the season, as she tallied 1386 assists in 32 matches, averaging 11.75 per set during both the regular and postseason. Additionally, she piloted the Huskies to the best hitting percentage in the conference, as the team hit well above .270 for the majority of 2021, and ranked top-10 in the nation in team kills, team kills per set and team assists entering the NCAA Regional. As an individual, Torve eclipsed several milestones. In her final collegiate season, the fifth-year setter eclipsed both the 3000 and 4000 career assists milestones and ended the year with 4242 to her name. Torve ranks third all-time in career assists (4242) and single-season assists (1386), fourth in single-season assists (1375) and sixth in single-match assists (68).
Rachel is the first player in program history to earn back-to-back All-America accolades, as she was named AVCA All-America Honorable Mention in 2019. As a junior, Rachel once again proved she was one of the best offensive and defensive weapons in the NSIC, as she recorded 429 kills and 376 digs during the 2021 season. Rachel also recorded the highest hitting percentage of her St. Cloud State career, as she hit .264 during the regular season and .270 against conference opponents, and broke several program records along the way. After 17 double-double matches in 2021 and 24 double digit kill matches, Rachel now holds the program record for double-doubles (65) and double-digit kill matches (72) with one season of eligibility left. She additionally ranks third all-time in 20+ kill matches (9), fifth in career kills (1251) and sixth in career digs (1198).
Rossi joins Foley and Torve as first time All-America honorees, as she, like Rachel, was named to the AVCA All-America Honorable Mention team. As a junior, Rossi was both an offensive and defensive threat for the Huskies, as she ranked top-3 on the team in kills, kills per set, hitting percentage, blocks and blocks per set. Rossi's blocking was something to behold, as her 160.0 total blocks (28 solo, 132 assist) ranked sixth in all of Division II, and she ranked top-10 in blocks per set entering the NCAA Regional. As a middle blocker, Rossi closed the season with 282 kills on 664 swings for a team-leading .340 hitting percentage. She was additionally the lone student-athlete to be named both the NSIC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week in 2021, becoming the first player in program history to earn both honors in the same season.
Foley and Torve received First Team All-America nods after historic seasons, while both Rachel and Rossi were named All-America Honorable Mention. It marks the most All-America honorees in program history for the Huskies, as no more than two student-athletes have ever earned the honor in the same calendar season.
Foley and Torve made plenty of history in 2021, and they made a little more Tuesday afternoon. The duo became the first St. Cloud State student-athletes to earn First Team All-America honors from the AVCA and are the first to garner First or Second Team honors since 1996. Both also add to an impressive list of awards they have accumulated this season, as Foley and Torve were named First Team All-NSIC, AVCA First Team All-Central Region, D2CCA First Team All-Region, and NSIC All-Tournament honors earlier this year.
Foley made quite the debut in her first season of collegiate volleyball, as she was named the NSIC and AVCA Central Region Freshman of the Year. The redshirt freshman from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa took the NSIC and Central Region by storm, racking up 451 kills on 994 swings for a .295 hitting percentage. She additionally closed the season with 350 digs and 68.0 blocks, making her one of the best six-rotation players in all of Division II. Foley ranked top-25 in the nation in both kills per set (3.92) and points per set (4.43) before the NCAA Regional and was top-5 in the NSIC in both categories.
Torve was the best setter in the NSIC from the start of the season, as she tallied 1386 assists in 32 matches, averaging 11.75 per set during both the regular and postseason. Additionally, she piloted the Huskies to the best hitting percentage in the conference, as the team hit well above .270 for the majority of 2021, and ranked top-10 in the nation in team kills, team kills per set and team assists entering the NCAA Regional. As an individual, Torve eclipsed several milestones. In her final collegiate season, the fifth-year setter eclipsed both the 3000 and 4000 career assists milestones and ended the year with 4242 to her name. Torve ranks third all-time in career assists (4242) and single-season assists (1386), fourth in single-season assists (1375) and sixth in single-match assists (68).
Rachel is the first player in program history to earn back-to-back All-America accolades, as she was named AVCA All-America Honorable Mention in 2019. As a junior, Rachel once again proved she was one of the best offensive and defensive weapons in the NSIC, as she recorded 429 kills and 376 digs during the 2021 season. Rachel also recorded the highest hitting percentage of her St. Cloud State career, as she hit .264 during the regular season and .270 against conference opponents, and broke several program records along the way. After 17 double-double matches in 2021 and 24 double digit kill matches, Rachel now holds the program record for double-doubles (65) and double-digit kill matches (72) with one season of eligibility left. She additionally ranks third all-time in 20+ kill matches (9), fifth in career kills (1251) and sixth in career digs (1198).
Rossi joins Foley and Torve as first time All-America honorees, as she, like Rachel, was named to the AVCA All-America Honorable Mention team. As a junior, Rossi was both an offensive and defensive threat for the Huskies, as she ranked top-3 on the team in kills, kills per set, hitting percentage, blocks and blocks per set. Rossi's blocking was something to behold, as her 160.0 total blocks (28 solo, 132 assist) ranked sixth in all of Division II, and she ranked top-10 in blocks per set entering the NCAA Regional. As a middle blocker, Rossi closed the season with 282 kills on 664 swings for a team-leading .340 hitting percentage. She was additionally the lone student-athlete to be named both the NSIC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week in 2021, becoming the first player in program history to earn both honors in the same season.
Players Mentioned
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