By Nikki Sherrill, Communications and Sports Information Intern
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the 2016 Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball All-America Teams, chosen by the NAIA Volleyball All-America Selection Committee,
Monday. This committee is made up of NAIA-AVCA officers and the championship committee. Three teams are named, plus honorable mention.
Park’s (Mo.) Wendy Romero has been named the Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball National Player of the Year. In 2014, Romero was named National Championship Most Valuable Player, as she led her Pirates to a national championship and undefeated season. This year, Park was knocked out in the national semifinals to eventual champion Hastings (Neb.), 3-1. Romero is the first Park player to be awarded the honor.
Romero ranks No. 1 in the NAIA in total kills (685), No. 2 in kills per set (5.2) and No. 6 in total service aces (78). In an early season win over Lourdes (Ohio), Romero recorded a career-high 25 kills. She garnered a career-high in digs (22) against Grand View (Iowa) during pool play in the national championship. Romero, who sat out last season due to injury, is now a two-time All-American.
Both the Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball Libero and Coach of the Year come from the national champion Broncos, as Jill Bax and Matt Buttermore earn the honors for Hastings. Bax, a junior from Lincoln, Neb., has document 1,599 digs in her career at Hastings, including 530 this season. When serving, Bax has 83 service aces to her name. In the national championship match, Bax documented 22 digs to lead the defense for the Broncos on their way to the title. Bax was named a second team All-American this season – her first honor in her career.
Head coach for the Broncos Matt Buttermore earns his first honor after he helped lead Hastings to its first national title in program history. Buttermore has amassed a 127-43 record in his five years with the Broncos. During two of those five seasons, Buttermore has captured thirty wins-or-more, including a 33-3 record this year.
For more information on NAIA Volleyball, click
here.
Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball National Championship Most Valuable Player: Wendy Romero, Park (Mo.)
Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball National Championship Libero of the Year: Jill Bax, Hastings (Neb.)
Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball National Championship Tournament Coach of the Year: Matt Buttermore, Hastings (Neb.)
2016 Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball All-American Teams
| First Team |
Institution |
Pos. |
Yr. |
Hometown |
| Wendy Romero |
Park (Mo.) |
OH |
SR |
Cojedes, San Carlos, Venezuela |
| Logan Drueppel |
Hastings (Neb.) |
MH |
SR |
Schuyler, Neb. |
| Natalie Geidel |
Viterbo (Wis.) |
MH |
JR |
West Bend, Wis. |
| Brooke Granstra |
Dordt (Iowa) |
MH |
SR |
Sioux Center, Iowa |
| Makenzie Montana |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
S |
JR |
Louisville, Ky. |
| Libby Dahlberg |
Westmont (Calif.) |
MH |
SO |
Sacramento, Calif. |
| Amelia Grahn |
Viterbo (Wis.) |
S |
JR |
Madison, Wis. |
| Gisele Silva |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
OH |
SR |
Nova Lima, Brazil |
| Mallory Dillon |
Missouri Baptist |
OH |
SR |
St. Charles, Mo. |
| Peiyi Liu |
Columbia (Mo.) |
OPP |
JR |
Nanjing, China |
| Rachel Kater |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
S |
JR |
Wichita, Kan. |
| Jessica Peters |
Midland (Neb.) |
S |
SO |
Omaha, Neb. |
| Katie Placke |
Hastings (Neb.) |
OPP |
JR |
Grand Island, Neb. |
| Priscilla O'Dowd |
Midland (Neb.) |
MH |
SO |
Omaha, Neb. |
|
|
|
|
|
| Second Team |
Institution |
Pos. |
Yr. |
Hometown |
| Madison Squiers |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
S |
FR |
Kearney, Neb. |
| Rachelle Chamberlain |
Eastern Oregon |
S |
SR |
Challis, Idaho |
| Taylor Beckman |
Westmont (Calif.) |
OH |
JR |
lake Oswego, Ore. |
| Manon Soraru |
Oklahoma City |
MH |
JR |
Mulhouse, France |
| Eloisa Sales |
Bethel (Tenn.) |
OH |
SR |
Brasilia, Brazil |
| Kendra Zwart |
Cornerstone (Mich.) |
MH |
SO |
Jenison, Mich. |
| Jenny Howell |
Georgetown (Ky.) |
OPP |
JR |
Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Sanja Vonjnovic |
Oklahoma City |
S |
JR |
Bajeljena, Bosnia |
| Grace Blomstedt |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
MH |
SO |
Red Oak, Iowa |
| Jamie Gesink |
Dordt (Iowa) |
S |
SO |
Sioux Center, Iowa |
| Adrienne Czaplewski |
Warner (Fla.) |
OH |
SR |
Winter Park (Fla.) |
| Kaitlin Bradley |
Doane (Neb.) |
OH |
SR |
Crete, Neb. |
| KC Heimann |
Midland (Neb.) |
OH |
SR |
Howells, Neb. |
| Jill Bax |
Hastings (Neb.) |
L |
JR |
Lincoln, Neb. |
|
|
|
|
|
| Third Team |
Institution |
Pos. |
Yr. |
Hometown |
| Annelise Rohrer |
Mt. Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) |
OH |
SR |
Hilliard, Ohio |
| Molly Shronk |
Lourdes (Ohio) |
OH |
SR |
Columbus, Ohio |
| Cristina Viera |
Peru State (Neb.) |
L |
JR |
Montevideo, Uruguay |
| Nicole Warren |
Jamestown (N.D.) |
L |
SR |
Oakes, N.D. |
| Taylor Wells |
Grand View (Iowa) |
OPP |
SR |
Des Moines, Iowa |
| Tena Loewen |
Tabor (Kan.) |
OH |
SR |
Hillsboro, Kan. |
| Kristina Medanovic |
Missouri Baptist |
MH |
JR |
Kraljevo, Serbia |
| Nikki McDaniel |
Webber International (Fla.) |
OH |
SR |
DeLand, Fla. |
| Ave Stout |
Lourdes (Ohio) |
MH |
SR |
Huntertown, Ind. |
| Jonni Dorr |
Carroll (Mont.) |
S |
SR |
Spokane, Wash. |
| Ema Altena |
Dordt (Iowa) |
OH |
SO |
Sioux Center, Iowa |
| Rachel Andrews |
Union (Ky.) |
OPP |
JR |
Louisville, Ky. |
| Amanda Miller |
Eastern Oregon |
OH |
JR |
Kennewick, Wash. |
| Cayley Meiners |
Coastal Georgia |
S |
SR |
Mackinaw, Ill. |
| Remy Bucknor |
Indiana Wesleyan |
| Morgan Miller |
Indiana Wesleyan |
| Shiloh Thomas |
Point Park (Pa.) |
| Lindi Thomas |
IU Kokomo (Ind.) |
| Tori Mantel |
Trinity Christian (Ill.) |
| Karlie Kelly |
Madonna (Mich.) |
| Meghan Birr |
Lourdes (Ohio) |
| Leah Alles |
St. Francis (Ill.) |
| Taylor Kelso |
Indiana Tech |
| Hope Leppink |
Cornerstone (Mich.) |
| Ashley McClintock |
IU South Bend |
| Heather Green |
Cornerstone (Mich.) |
| Maja Krstonosic |
Missouri Valley |
| Taylor Cowan |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
| Courtney Twit |
Grand View (Iowa) |
| Caterina Cigarini |
Missouri Baptist |
| Sashiko Heredia |
Columbia (Mo.) |
| Brittney Engelbrecht |
William Woods (Mo.) |
| Shayla Scanlan |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
| Bailey Gross |
Viterbo (Wis.) |
| Morgan Hensch |
Jamestown (N.D.) |
| Sierra Skow |
Viterbo (Wis.) |
| Mikaylah Gillsepie |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
| Shannon Murdock |
Rochester (Mich.) |
| Rielly Dobbs |
College of the Ozarks (Mo.) |
| Haley Stallings |
College of the Ozarks (Mo.) |
| Haley Glasoe |
Jamestown (N.D.) |
| Sara Biermaier |
Viterbo (Wis.) |
| Hannah Buck |
Mobile (Ala.) |
| Kendra Johnson |
Montreat (N.C.) |
| Amber Parker |
Corban (Ore.) |
| Bailie Cortner |
Montana Tech |
| Madison Wilhelm |
Great Falls (Mont.) |
| Madison Garlie |
Eastern Oregon |
| Alaina Gentili |
Corban (Ore.) |
| Kennadie Clute |
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) |
| Shelby Stinnett |
Texas Wesleyan |
| Kendall Goff |
Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) |
| Fia Faa'Agi |
Oklahoma City |
| Rossanna Ramos |
Wayland Baptist (Texas) |
| Candace Grosjean |
St. Thomas (Texas) |
| Paulyae Dawkins |
SAGU (Texas) |
| Laycia Robinson |
Houston-Tillottson (Texas) |
| Rebecca Moustapha |
Wiley (Texas) |
| Marijana Bjelobrk |
Oklahoma City |
| Annija Abolina |
Campbellsville (Ky.) |
| Elly Burke |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
| Sarah Bell |
Georgetown (Ky.) |
| Whitney Battoe |
St. Thomas (Fla.) |
| Michelle Calderon |
Webber International (Fla.) |
| Jennifer Philpot |
Cumberlands (Ky.) |
| Ashlee Howe |
Georgetown (Ky.) |
| Aubrey Pyburn |
The Master's (Calif.) |
| Juanae Johnson |
Vanguard (Calif.) |
| Kayla Sims |
The Master's (Calif.) |
| Kami Troesh |
Westmont (Calif.) |
| Rebecca Lowden |
Vanguard (Calif.) |
| Tess Van Grouw |
Biola (Calif.) |
| Janaya Fox |
Ottawa (Kan.) |
| Lauren Hilger |
Northwestern (Iowa) |
| Valeria Most |
Kansas Wesleyan |