ASHLAND – After leading the Southern Oregon University beach volleyball team to an NAIA Invitational national championship on Saturday, the Raiders' Grace Gulbrandsen and Tessa Zimmermann were named All-Americans on Monday by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
Gulbrandsen and Zimmermann, SOU's top pair, were also voted onto the NAIA Invitational All-Tournament team for winning four of their five matches in Mesa, Ariz. Their only loss was in pool play to Maya Blake and Eliana Dean of Ottawa (Ariz.), and they got revenge on that duo a day later with a title-clinching victory in straight sets.
Gulbrandsen and Zimmermann finished the season with a 17-7 overall record. The juniors went 11-3 in Cascade Conference play, helping the Raiders capture CCC regular season and tournament championships.
In the team's fourth season of existence, SOU went 24-3 overall and ascended to the No. 1 ranking prior to the NAIA Invitational.
Gulbrandsen, a product of Folsom, Calif., was named the CCC co-Defensive Player of the Year two weeks ago. It was her first season playing on SOU's No. 1 pair.
Zimmermann, who is also a middle for SOU's indoor volleyball team, became an AVCA All-American for the second year in a row. The Albany native earned the honor while teaming with Madi Gray on the Raiders' No. 1 pairing in 2025.