Dec. 16, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Three women's volleyball Nittany Lions have been selected to the AVCA DI All-America teams, with one additional member earning honorable mention distinction. Sophomore Haleigh Washington highlights the group as a first team selection, while redshirt senior Aiyana Whitney and senior Megan Courtney are both on the second team. Sophomore Ali Frantti garnered AVCA All-America honorable mention distinction.
Penn State has earned at least three selections to one of the three All-America teams in each of the last 10 consecutive seasons, bolstering the Nittany Lions' total number of All-America honors to 89 since 1979. Hall of Fame head coach Russ Rose has also mentored at least one All-American in 36 of his 37 seasons at Penn State.
The AVCA divides its All-America class into three 14-student-athlete teams (first, second and third), while also adding an additional honorable mention squad. This year marks the first year all student-athletes who earned Honorable Mention All-America honors were selected by the selection committee. Previously, players who earned All-Region accolades were automatically honorable mention if they did not make one of the three teams.
Washington earns her first AVCA All-America award, having picked up both All-Northeast Region and All-Big Ten accolades a few weeks ago. The 2015 CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-American was often among the nation's best in hitting efficiency throughout the season. Her .442 hitting percentage ranks third nationally and closed out the season ranked eighth on the Penn State single-season all-time list. In the Penn State record book, her .451 career hitting clip is ranked second all-time. Washington also led the team with 1.38 blocks per set, which ranks 23rd in the national standings. She recorded at least two blocks in all but one of 34 matches this season. Washington was named Big Ten Player of the Week four times and set a career-high mark with 11 total blocks in a win against St. Johns, marking the second highest tally in a single-match 3-set outing in Penn State program history.
Whitney garners her second consecutive AVCA All-America second team laurel, having also been honored as an All-Northeast Region and All-Big Ten selection this year. A key contributor to the Penn State offense this season, Whitney started all 34 matches. She finished first on the team with 3.11 kills per set on .353 hitting. Whitney had double digit kills in 13 of the final 19 matches of the season, including double figure kills in all three matches of the 2015 NCAA Tournament. She finishes her career with a .325 hitting percentage, which is ranked tied for 15thin the Nittany Lion record book. Having posted at least two blocks in all but two matches this season, she closed out the year ranked second on the team with 1.12 blocks per set.
Courtney earns her first AVCA All-America honor, having also picked up her first All-Big Ten honor this year. She was also an All-Northeast Region selection in 2015. The Des Moines Regional All-Tournament team member closed out the year ranked second on the team with 3.04 kills per set, having recorded double figure kills in 13 matches during the season, including eight of the 16 conference matches she played in. Courtney also joined an elite group, as she became just the eighth Nittany Lion in program history to reach the 1,000 career kills, 1,000 career digs milestone. Courtney highlighted the year with her third career 20-plus kill performance in a 3-2 victory against Minnesota at home in Rec Hall.
Frantti earns her second consecutive AVCA All-America award, having earned Second Team All-America honors in 2014. Frantti closed out her second year in the Blue and White with 2.63 kills per set, having led the Penn State offense in kills on nine occasions. She recorded double figure kills in 14 matches this year, as well as posting double digit kills in six of the final eight matches of the season. In the 2015 NCAA Tournament, she led the team with 12 kills in the NCAA first round match against Howard before tying for first on the team with 14 kills against Dayton. On the Penn State all-time list, her 2.94 career kills per set ranks 17th in program history. Frantti's 2014 honors included spots on both the Penn State Classic and the Golden Dome Invitational All-Tournament teams.
Penn State posted a 28-6 overall record in 2015, advancing to the NCAA regional semifinals for the 13th consecutive season. Women's volleyball season tickets for next season are now being accepted. Nittany Lion fans have the option to secure their 2016 season tickets by calling 1-800-NITTANY, weekdays from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
To view the complete list of AVCA DI All-Americans please click here.