KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the 2015 Division II Women’s Basketball All-America Teams on Wednesday. Concordia’s (Neb.) Bailey Morris was named the NAIA National Player of the Year.
Morris – a two-time first team selection – spearheaded the Bulldogs’ 35-3 season and national championship runner-up finish. The Roseland, Neb., native is the first Concordia athlete to earn the Player of the Year honor since the award was established in 1998. The senior guard led the Bulldogs in scoring in 2014-15 at 18.5 points per contest (665 total points in 36 games). She also ranked second in steals (136) and seventh in assists per outing at 5.2. Morris hit double-figures in 32 games this year, including fifteen 20-plus point showings.
Morris, College of Saint Mary (Neb.) center Deaundra Young and Hastings (Neb.) guard Jamie Van Kirk highlight the six repeat selections from last season. All three standouts are making their second-straight appearance on the first team.
Saint Xavier (Ill.) forward Morgan Stuut and St. Francis (Ill.) forward Katie Gonnering are the only three-time All-American among the three teams. Stuut – who received her third-consecutive first team honor – was also named the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year, owned a 16.4 points per game average. She recorded 16 points and a Division II-high 27 rebounds on Dec. 3 against Roosevelt (Ill.).
Gonnering has now been named to the second team twice after being on the third team list a season ago. The senior led all of Division II in points per contest at 24.0 in 30 games played. She also had NAIA-highs in points in a single tilt (52 against Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) on Nov 25, 2014), and also made 20 field goals in the same game – a Division II season-high.
Following the conclusion of the national championship final game, Morningside head coach Jamie Sale was named the Phyllis Holmes Coach of the Year. Sale, who is in his 13th season with the Mustangs, guided his team to a 37-1 record en route to the national title. The top-ranked squad entering the championship claimed the banner exactly six years after winning the program’s third crown in school history in 2009 over Hastings (Neb.), 68-63.
The 2015 NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball All-America Teams were selected by the NAIA-Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-America Committee.
2014-15 NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball All-Americans
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First Team |
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Name |
Institution |
Pos. |
Class |
Hometown |
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Deaundra Young* |
College of Saint Mary (Neb.) |
C |
Jr. |
Titusville, Fla. |
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Kayla Kepler |
College of the Ozarks (Mo.) |
G |
Sr. |
Fair Grove, Mo. |
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Bailey Morris* |
Concordia (Neb.) |
G |
Sr. |
Roseland, Neb. |
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Daina Grazulis |
Davenport (Mich.) |
C |
Sr. |
Marquette, Mich |
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Jamie Van Kirk* |
Hastings (Neb.) |
G |
Sr. |
Sutton, Neb. |
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Katrina Blackmon |
Indiana Wesleyan |
F |
Sr. |
Marion, Ind. |
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Jessica Buck |
Jamestown (N.D.) |
F |
Jr. |
Burnsville, Minn. |
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Ashlyn Muhl |
Morningside (Iowa) |
F |
Sr. |
Minneota, Minn. |
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Akyah Taylor |
Saint Francis (Ind.) |
F |
Jr. |
Elkhart, Ind. |
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Morgan Stuut* |
Saint Xavier (Ill.) |
F |
Sr. |
Marcellus, Mich. |
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Second Team |
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Name |
Institution |
Pos. |
Class |
Hometown |
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Tracey Peitz |
Concordia (Neb.) |
F |
Sr. |
Hartington, Neb. |
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Tara Van Weerdhuizen |
Corban (Ore.) |
F |
Sr. |
Spokane, Wash. |
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Michelle Hayes |
Madonna (Mich.) |
G |
Jr. |
Inkster, Mich. |
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Laurel Donnewirth |
Menlo (Calif.) |
F |
Sr. |
Carmichael, Calif. |
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Karen Ettleman |
Northwestern (Iowa) |
G |
Sr. |
Logan, Iowa |
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Nichole Tate |
Oklahoma Wesleyan |
G |
Sr. |
Sand Springs, Okla. |
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Abby Hengesbach |
Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) |
G |
Jr. |
Westphalia, Mich. |
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Brianna Thomas |
Rio Grande (Ohio) |
G |
Sr. |
Maplewood, N.J. |
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Sierra Calhoun |
Siena Heights (Mich.) |
G |
Sr. |
Toledo, Ohio |
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Katie Gonnering % |
St. Francis (Ill.) |
F |
Sr. |
Seymour, Wis. |
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Third Team |
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Name |
Institution |
Pos. |
Class |
Hometown |
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April Harp |
Bethel College (Kan.) |
F |
Sr. |
Memphis, Tenn. |
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Slone Masters |
Briar Cliff (Iowa) |
F |
Sr. |
Albert City, Iowa |
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Nicki Monahan |
IU Northwest (Ind.) |
G |
So. |
Portage, Ind. |
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Taylor Bahensky |
Morningside (Iowa) |
G |
So. |
Omaha, Neb. |
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Brooke Ridley* |
Saint Francis (Ind.) |
F |
Jr. |
Fort Wayne, Ind. |
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Alexi Smith |
Southern Oregon |
F |
Sr. |
Bakersfield, Calif. |
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Katie Jensen |
St Ambrose (Iowa) |
F |
Sr. |
Lena, Ill. |
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Dannisha Pierce |
St. Thomas (Fla.) |
F |
Sr. |
New Haven, Conn. |
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Tonnisha Dean |
Tabor (Kan.) |
F |
Sr. |
Terrell, Texas |
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Jenna Adams |
Tennessee Wesleyan |
F |
Sr. |
Etowah, Tenn. |
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Honorable Mention |
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Name |
Institution |
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Carla Booth |
Alice Lloyd (Ky.) |
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Sarah Vozel |
Ashford (Iowa) |
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Michelle Piepenburg |
Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) |
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Breland Prohaska |
Clarke (Iowa) |
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Jill Hendrickson |
Cornerstone (Mich.) |
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Celeste Beck |
Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) |
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Kiz Frizier |
Davenport (Mich.) |
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Hannah Dostal |
Doane (Neb.) |
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Kassy Larsen |
Eastern Oregon |
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Kayla Mollere |
Friends (Kan.) |
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Allison Kaufmann |
Grace (Ind.) |
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Taylor Nashert |
Grand View (Iowa) |
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Jenine Coriz |
Haskell (Kan.) |
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Michaela Barry |
Hastings (Neb.) |
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Miiranda Palmer |
Huntington (Ind.) |
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Maegan Callaway |
IU South Bend (Ind.) |
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Heather Wheat |
IU Southeast (Ind.) |
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Tina Fantroy |
La Sierra (Calif.) |
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Laken Hasser-Smith |
Marian (Ind.) |
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Kaylee Walters |
Marian (Ind.) |
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Liz Hoglo |
Mayville State (N.D.) |
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Lexi Ackerman |
Morngingside (Iowa) |
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Abby Herb |
Mount Mercy (Iowa) |
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Madison Coldren |
Northwestern Ohio |
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Dereese Owens |
Point (Ga.) |
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Haley Froelich |
Presentation (S.D.) |
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Jada Buggs |
Purdue Calumet (Ind.) |
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Yolanda De La Torre |
Robert Morris (Ill.) |
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Alyssa Ramos |
Southeastern (Fla.) |
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Ashley Claussen |
Southern Oregon |
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Kara Krolicki |
St. Xavier (Ill.) |
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Shira Buley |
Tennessee Wesleyan |
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Courtney Saunds |
Thomas (Ga.) |
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Georgia Williams |
Valley City State (N.D.) |
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Jenna Engh |
Viterbo (Wis.) |
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* 2014 First Team All-American |
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^ 2014 Second Team All-American |
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% 2014 Third Team All-American |