Stevens Institute of Technology outside hitter and 2012 Empire 8 Player of the Year, Maggie Kowalska, joined Nazareth College Empire 8 First Teamers, middle blocker Maria Alloco and right-side Aubrey Cooke, in earning recognition as Honorable Mention All-Americans by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). The trio was joined by Elmira College outside hitter Sasha Zavadska on the All-New York Region list.
Kowalska earned her fourth-consecutive honorable mention nod after leading Stevens in nearly every statistical category of the 17-18 campaign, which started as a 0-9 skid. She paced the Ducks in five offensive categories, including 615 points, 505 kills, 371 digs, 97 total blocks and 80 block assists.
Kowalska ranks 17th in the nation in points per set at 4.66 according to the latest NCAA statistical rankings which was released on November 11. Throughout the entirety of this season, Kowalska recorded 27 double-digit kill matches and 20 double-digit dig efforts.
Allocco ranks ninth nationally with a .376 hitting percentage that was generated from a team-best 339 kills. She also has 43 service aces and 100 blocks. Allocco helped the Golden Flyers capture their second straight Empire 8 Conference title as she was named tournament MVP.
Cooke is one of the league’s most versatile players. She produced 129 kills, 628 assists, 213 digs and 66 blocks. She also was named to the Empire 8 all-tournament team after helping Nazareth to wins over Elmira and Stevens.
Zavadska earned her fourth all-region honor after leading the Soaring Eagles to the regular season conference title and a runner-up finish in the ECAC tournament. The senior ranked first on the team with 521 kills and 389 digs. Those marks were good for an average of 4.07 kills and 3.04 digs per set. An all-around player, Zavadska also added 68 assists, 47 service aces and 43 blocks.
AVCA All-America Teams
AVCA All-Region Teams