EOU's Casey Loper Named All-American- Third Team
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the 2013 Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball All-America teams, as chosen by the NAIA Volleyball All-America Selection Committee, Monday. Each team—first, second and third—consists of 14 members.
The Cascade Conference Player of the Year, Casey Loper from Eastern Oregon, was named to the third team. Five other CCC student athletes earned All-American Honorable Mention recognition including; Liz Meyers (COI), Sierra Porter (COI), Lindsay Mangan (CU), Mariah Raudsepp (CU) and Stefani Sorensen (EOU).
Texas at Brownsville senior outside hitter Danica Markovic, a Subotica, Serbia, native, was selected as the 2013 Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball Player of the Year. Markovic is a four-time All-America selection, having been named to the first team in 2010, 2012 and 2013 and the second team in 2011. She led the Ocelots to their fifth-straight National Championship appearance, culminating in the team’s second national championship. Markovic is the first Texas at Brownsville player to earn the honor since the award’s inception in 1990.
Markovic played in all 37 matches for the Ocelots, leading the team to a perfect 37-0 record. She recorded a team-high 409 kills, an average of 3.47 per game, and tallied an NAIA-high 91 service aces, an average of .77 per game, on the season. She also added 56 blocks, 16 assists and 310 digs on the year. Nationally, Markovic ranked among the leaders in total service aces (1st, 91), service aces per game (6th, .77), hitting percentage (10th, .374) and kills per game (49th, 3.47).
Biola’s (Calif.) Aaron Seltzer was named the 2013 NAIA Volleyball Coach of the Year after leading the Eagles to a 27-4 record and a runner-up finish at the National Championship. He is the first Biola head coach to receive the honor since the award’s inception in 1981.
Biola, Concordia (Calif.), Madonna (Mich.) and Texas at Brownsville all landed multiple players on the first team. Markovic, Vanja Joksic and Ana Guerra were the All-Americans for national champion Texas at Brownsville. National runner-up Biola led all programs with four All-America selections—Chelsee Arnitz (First Team), Gracee Gallarda (First Team), Amy Weststeyn (First Team) and Joclyn Kirton (Second Team).
Former-member Fresno Pacific leads all institutions with 54 all-time All-Americans. Columbia (45) and Biola (40) trail the Sunbirds.
2013 Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball All-America Teams
First Team (sorted by school)
Name |
School |
Pos. |
Yr. |
Hometown |
Chelsee Arnitz ^ |
Biola (Calif.) |
MH |
Sr. |
Yorba Linda, Calif. |
Gracee Gallarda ^ |
Biola (Calif.) |
S |
Sr. |
Yorba Linda, Calif. |
Amy Weststeyn ^ |
Biola (Calif.) |
MH |
Jr. |
Visalia, Calif. |
Trinity Ojo |
Columbia (Mo.) |
MH |
Sr. |
Grand Prairie, Texas |
Jessica Israel |
Concordia (Calif.) |
OPP |
Jr. |
West Hills, Calif. |
Le Mi ^ |
Concordia(Calif.) |
MH |
Sr. |
Yantai, China |
Emilie Freeman |
Madonna (Mich.) |
MH |
Sr. |
Livonia, Mich. |
Evia Prieditis ^ |
Madonna (Mich.) |
S |
Sr. |
Milford, Mich. |
Kaitlin Floerchinger |
Northwestern (Iowa) |
OH |
Jr. |
Treynor, Iowa |
Kristin Pressley ^ |
Oklahoma Baptist |
OH |
Sr. |
Mansfield, Texas |
Wanessa Siqueira |
Park (Mo.) |
OPP |
Jr. |
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
Vanja Joksic ^ |
Texas at Brownsville |
MH |
Jr. |
Gornji Milanovac, Serbia |
Danica Markovic ^ |
Texas at Brownsville |
OH |
Sr. |
Subotica, Serbia |
Shahala Hawkins |
Wayland Baptist (Texas) |
MH |
So. |
Denver City, Texas |
Second Team (sorted by school)
Name |
School |
Pos. |
Yr. |
Hometown |
Madison Ekis ^ |
Concordia (Calif.) |
OH |
Sr. |
Phelan, Calif. |
Caraline Maher |
Georgetown (Ky.) |
MH |
Jr. |
Cincinnati, Ohio |
Kadie Subbert |
Grand View (Iowa) |
OH |
Jr. |
Stanton, Iowa |
Rae Brandes |
Indiana Wesleyan |
OH |
Sr. |
Twin Lakes, Wis. |
Sarah Becker ^ |
Jamestown (N.D.) |
MH |
Sr. |
Rochester, Minn. |
Kailey Moorhead |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
MH |
Sr. |
Wolfforth, Texas |
Samantha Dougherty ^ |
The Master's (Calif.) |
OH |
Sr. |
Madera, Calif. |
Vladi Kopanarova |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
MH |
Sr. |
Razlog, Bulgaria |
Megan Farley |
Midland (Neb.) |
S |
Jr. |
Syracuse, Neb. |
Mackenzie Scheef |
Midland (Neb.) |
MH |
Sr. |
Syracuse, Neb. |
Abby Nicholas |
MSU-Northern |
OH |
Sr. |
Sandy, Utah |
Brooke Fessler |
Northwestern (Iowa) |
S |
So. |
Pella, Iowa |
Ana Guerra ^ |
Texas at Brownsville |
MH |
Sr. |
Sao Paulo, Brazil |
Alicia Olson ^ |
Viterbo (Wis.) |
OH |
Jr. |
Eau Claire, Wis. |
Third Team (sorted by school)
Name |
School |
Pos. |
Yr. |
Hometown |
Annie Benson |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
OH |
Sr. |
Papillion, Neb. |
Beth Walker |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
S |
So. |
Dubuque, Iowa |
Joclyn Kirton |
Biola (Calif.) |
OH |
So. |
Everett, Wash. |
Cailie Johnson |
Cornerstone (Mich.) |
MH |
Jr. |
Rockford, Mich. |
Kamrin Gold |
Culver Stockton (Mo.) |
OH |
So. |
Flint, Mich. |
Kayla Gesink |
Dordt (Iowa) |
S |
Jr. |
Sioux Center, IA |
Casey Loper |
Eastern Oregon |
MH |
Jr. |
Powell Butte, Ore. |
Denise Atualevao |
Graceland (Iowa) |
L |
Sr. |
San Diego, Calif. |
Kristine Egebrecht ^ |
Indiana Wesleyan |
MH |
Sr. |
Wheaton, Ill. |
Lauren Purdy |
Park (Mo.) |
MH |
Sr. |
Arlington, Texas |
Yang Yang |
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) |
MH |
Jr. |
Yongan, China |
Jessica Wiltjer |
Trinity Christian (Ill.) |
MH |
Jr. |
Schererville, Ind. |
Jessica Neves |
Vanguard (Calif.) |
OPP |
Jr. |
Mission Viejo, Calif. |
Grecia Rivera |
Wayland Baptist (Texas) |
OH |
Sr. |
Juarez, Mexico |
^ Denotes 2012 All-American
Honorable Mention (sorted by school)
Name |
School |
Molly Maynard |
Aquinas (Mich.) |
Sarah Sterling |
Asbury (Ky.) |
Symone Faulkner |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
Morgan Fox |
Bethel (Ind.) |
Carolyn Evans |
Bryan (Tenn.) |
Taylor Fink |
Bryan (Tenn.) |
Taylor DeGraaf |
Cal State San Marcos |
Alyssa Foster |
Cal State San Marcos |
Rinata Aisena |
Campbellsville (Ky.) |
Monique Morris |
Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) |
Elle Kosciuk |
Clarke (Iowa) |
Liz Myers |
College of Idaho |
Sierra Porter |
College of Idaho |
Hayley Blair |
College of the Ozarks (Mo.) |
Lydie van Deursen |
Columbia (Mo.) |
Lindsay Mangan |
Concordia (Ore.) |
Mariah Raudsepp |
Concordia (Ore.) |
Jenee Henderson |
Concordia (Calif.) |
Hannah Stone |
Davenport (Mich.) |
Brooke Wolterstorff |
Dordt (Iowa) |
Stefani Sorensen |
Eastern Oregon |
Tamires Ferreira |
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) |
Hannah Gray |
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) |
Emily Jacobson |
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) |
Micah Cribbs |
Evangel (Mo.) |
Crystal Taporco |
Friends (Kan.) |
Allyson Wilbourn |
Georgetown (Ky.) |
Dana Johnston |
Grace (Ind.) |
Breanne Schultz |
Kansas Wesleyan |
Niurka Toribio |
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) |
Sarah Anderson |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
Nadelina Nesheva |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
Stacey Catalano |
Madonna (Mich.) |
Josette Glatt |
Mayville (N.D.) |
Zoraida Heredia |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
Taryn Salum |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
Ally Krus |
Missouri Baptist |
Joni Nagy |
MSU-Northern |
Kelsey Williams |
MSU-Northern |
Karlie Schut |
Northwestern (Iowa) |
Nicole Gingery |
Ottawa (Kan.) |
Nicole Wurstle |
Point Park (Pa.) |
Denise De Vine |
Reinhardt (Ga.) |
Anna Dewald |
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) |
Jessica, Sodich |
Southwest Assemblies of God (N.M.) |
Sha Sha Buchanan |
Spring Hill (Ala.) |
Megan Haber |
Spring Hill (Ala.) |
Taryn Nash |
Spring Hill (Ala.) |
Zipporah Washington |
SUNO (La.) |
Katherine, Rosenbusch |
Texas Wesleyan |
Kaitlin Feddema |
Trinity Christian (Ill.) |
Erynn Schuh |
Trinity Christian (Ill.) |
Breanne Shaw |
St. Francis (Ill.) |
Xiaoyu Gou |
Texas at Brownsville |
Michelle Marques |
Texas at Brownsville |
Kelly Heenan |
Vanguard (Calif.) |
Ciara Turner |
Westmont (Calif.) |
Susan Tsisiche |
Wiley (Texas) |
Taylor Reuther |
Xavier (La.) |