Trio From St. Cloud State Volleyball Named to AVCA, D2CCA All-Region Teams
12/3/2025 12:01:00 PM | Volleyball
Kimm, LaPlant and Thompson earn all-central region honors
LEXINGTON, Ky. / TOPEKA, Kan. – St. Cloud State Volleyball had three student-athletes named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and the Division-II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-Central Region teams, as announced by the organizations on Wednesday. Redshirt senior middle blocker Ella Thompson (Lakeville, Minn.) was named to the first team by both organizations while junior outside hitter Shelby Kimm (North Liberty, Iowa) and sophomore setter Braya LaPlant (Grand Rapids, Minn.) were named to the first team by the AVCA and the second team by the D2CCA.
Thompson's honor is her second consecutive AVCA All-Region honor after being named to the second team last season. Kimm and LaPlant each earned all-region honors for the first time in their careers. It is the fourth time in the last five seasons that the Huskies have had three or more players named to the AVCA All-Region Teams and the third time in program history (second consecutive season) with three named to the AVCA All-Central Region First Team.
Thompson, the 2025 NSIC Preseason Player of the Year, was named to the All-NSIC First Team for the second consecutive season after ranking in the top 11 of NSIC players during conference play in hitting percentage, blocks/set, points/set and kills/set. She was No. 6 in hitting percentage (.356), tied for No. 6 in blocks/set (0.97), No. 7 in points/set (3.88) and No. 11 in kills/set (3.33). This season Thompson has new single season best marks in kills/set (3.40) and points/set (3.90) and is approaching new personal records in kills (350), solo blocks (nine), total blocks (94), blocks/set (0.91) and points (401.5). She surpassed 1,150 career kills, 340 total blocks, 120 matches played and 440 sets played. this season. She was named to the NSIC All-Tournament Team after helping the Huskies win their second consecutive and fourth NSIC Tournament Championship in the last five seasons after taking down the No. 13, No. 2 and No. 5 teams in the country.
Kimm earned her first all-conference honor after ranking in the top 10 of points/set, kills/set and digs/set among NSIC players in conference matches. She finished the season No. 6 in points/set (3.92), No. 7 in kills/set (3.42) and No. 10 in digs/set (3.37) and posted double-doubles in over half the NSIC matches (11) and 16 total matches. She is having a breakout season and already has single season career best marks in kills (353), kills/set (3.53), hitting percentage (.269), digs (348), digs/set (3.48), block assists (40), total blocks (46), blocks/set (0.46), points (403) and points/set (4.03). She has also produced single match career highs in kills (19), attacks (50), digs (28), solo blocks (two), block assists (seven) and hitting percentage (.667). She was named to the NSIC All-Tournament Team after helping the Huskies win their second consecutive and fourth NSIC Tournament Championship in the last five seasons after taking down the No. 13, No. 2 and No. 5 teams in the country.
LaPlant was named as an all-conference performer in her first year as the team's starting setter after leading the SCSU offense to the most kills/set among NSIC teams during conference play (14.97) and tied for the fourth best hitting percentage (.276). Individually, she ranked first in assists/set (11.85) and tied for No. 9 in aces/set (0.38) while recording five double-doubles during conference play and nine overall. She earned the first two NSIC Setter of the Week awards of her career this season (Sept. 29 and Oct. 27) and was the only Husky to earn weekly conference honors this season. This season LaPlant surpassed 1,220 career assists and 1,150 assists for the season. She was named to the NSIC All-Tournament Team after helping the Huskies win their second consecutive and fourth NSIC Tournament Championship in the last five seasons after taking down the No. 13, No. 2 and No. 5 teams in the country. Additionally, she was named the AVCA DII National Player of the Week for her play during the tournament, becoming just the fifth player in program history to earn the honor.
The No. 5-ranked Huskies (26-6, 18-2 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference), were selected for their sixth consecutive and 11th overall NCAA Tournament. SCSU was selected as the No. 4 seed in the central region and will play No. 17-ranked/No. 5 seed Missouri Western (21-7, 13-3 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association) on Thursday, December 4 at 4:30 p.m. at the Health & Sports Center in Kearney, Nebraska. It will be the fourth meeting between the two programs (SCSU leads the series 2-1). Links to each coverage option can be found on the St. Cloud State Volleyball schedule page.
AVCA All-Central Region
First Team:
Shelby Kimm
Braya LaPlant
Ella Thompson
D2CCA All-Central Region
First Team:
Ella Thompson
Second Team:
Shelby Kimm
Braya LaPlant
AVCA Release | D2CCA Release
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Volleyball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Thompson's honor is her second consecutive AVCA All-Region honor after being named to the second team last season. Kimm and LaPlant each earned all-region honors for the first time in their careers. It is the fourth time in the last five seasons that the Huskies have had three or more players named to the AVCA All-Region Teams and the third time in program history (second consecutive season) with three named to the AVCA All-Central Region First Team.
Thompson, the 2025 NSIC Preseason Player of the Year, was named to the All-NSIC First Team for the second consecutive season after ranking in the top 11 of NSIC players during conference play in hitting percentage, blocks/set, points/set and kills/set. She was No. 6 in hitting percentage (.356), tied for No. 6 in blocks/set (0.97), No. 7 in points/set (3.88) and No. 11 in kills/set (3.33). This season Thompson has new single season best marks in kills/set (3.40) and points/set (3.90) and is approaching new personal records in kills (350), solo blocks (nine), total blocks (94), blocks/set (0.91) and points (401.5). She surpassed 1,150 career kills, 340 total blocks, 120 matches played and 440 sets played. this season. She was named to the NSIC All-Tournament Team after helping the Huskies win their second consecutive and fourth NSIC Tournament Championship in the last five seasons after taking down the No. 13, No. 2 and No. 5 teams in the country.
Kimm earned her first all-conference honor after ranking in the top 10 of points/set, kills/set and digs/set among NSIC players in conference matches. She finished the season No. 6 in points/set (3.92), No. 7 in kills/set (3.42) and No. 10 in digs/set (3.37) and posted double-doubles in over half the NSIC matches (11) and 16 total matches. She is having a breakout season and already has single season career best marks in kills (353), kills/set (3.53), hitting percentage (.269), digs (348), digs/set (3.48), block assists (40), total blocks (46), blocks/set (0.46), points (403) and points/set (4.03). She has also produced single match career highs in kills (19), attacks (50), digs (28), solo blocks (two), block assists (seven) and hitting percentage (.667). She was named to the NSIC All-Tournament Team after helping the Huskies win their second consecutive and fourth NSIC Tournament Championship in the last five seasons after taking down the No. 13, No. 2 and No. 5 teams in the country.
LaPlant was named as an all-conference performer in her first year as the team's starting setter after leading the SCSU offense to the most kills/set among NSIC teams during conference play (14.97) and tied for the fourth best hitting percentage (.276). Individually, she ranked first in assists/set (11.85) and tied for No. 9 in aces/set (0.38) while recording five double-doubles during conference play and nine overall. She earned the first two NSIC Setter of the Week awards of her career this season (Sept. 29 and Oct. 27) and was the only Husky to earn weekly conference honors this season. This season LaPlant surpassed 1,220 career assists and 1,150 assists for the season. She was named to the NSIC All-Tournament Team after helping the Huskies win their second consecutive and fourth NSIC Tournament Championship in the last five seasons after taking down the No. 13, No. 2 and No. 5 teams in the country. Additionally, she was named the AVCA DII National Player of the Week for her play during the tournament, becoming just the fifth player in program history to earn the honor.
The No. 5-ranked Huskies (26-6, 18-2 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference), were selected for their sixth consecutive and 11th overall NCAA Tournament. SCSU was selected as the No. 4 seed in the central region and will play No. 17-ranked/No. 5 seed Missouri Western (21-7, 13-3 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association) on Thursday, December 4 at 4:30 p.m. at the Health & Sports Center in Kearney, Nebraska. It will be the fourth meeting between the two programs (SCSU leads the series 2-1). Links to each coverage option can be found on the St. Cloud State Volleyball schedule page.
AVCA All-Central Region
First Team:
Shelby Kimm
Braya LaPlant
Ella Thompson
D2CCA All-Central Region
First Team:
Ella Thompson
Second Team:
Shelby Kimm
Braya LaPlant
AVCA Release | D2CCA Release
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Volleyball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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