Women's Volleyball | 11/12/2021 9:44:59 AM
Senior Alea Steigerwald and junior Lindsey DeBonis of St. John Fisher along with freshman Tessa Grover of Nazareth earned 2021 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-New York Region honors. All-Americans will be announced on Nov. 16.
Steigerwald led the Cardinals to a 26-5 final record, their third consecutive Empire 8 Championship in program history and second NCAA Division III Women’s Volleyball Tournament berth in 2021. She was named the Empire 8 Player of the Year for a record fourth consecutive season and also earned E8 Championship Tournament Most Outstanding Player accolades for the third straight season. Steigerwald was a five-time Empire 8 Player of the Week this season.
The Penfield, NY earned her third straight AVCA All-Region honor this season, Steigerwald led the Empire 8 with 347 kills and 411 points in 2021. She added 310 digs and 52 service aces.
Steigerwald is 20th in Empire 8 history with 1,436 career kills to go along with 1,216 digs, 185 service aces and 76 blocks. She has 1,666 career points for an average of 4.6 points per set.
DeBonis, an outside hitter, was named All-Empire 8 first team for the first time in her career as she ranked second on the team and fourth in the Empire 8 with 280 kills, while hitting .202. DeBonis totaled double-digit kills 16 times overall in 31 appearances and has finished with 15 kills in a match four times. The Scotia, NY native recorded eight double-doubles in 103 sets and was one of the Cardinals' top defensive players as well with 20 blocks and 277 digs.
The Most Valuable Player at the Oswego State Invite earlier this season, DeBonis is a three-time All-E8 selection and was twice named to the Empire 8 Women’s Volleyball Championship All-Tournament Team (2019 and 2021)
Grover a setter and right side hitter, enjoyed an excellent rookie season for the Golden Flyers, garnering 2021 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year accolades. She was also an All-Empire 8 first team selection and was named to the E8 Championship All-Tournament Team after leading Nazareth to the finals. A six-time Empire 8 Rookie of the Week, Grover, a Penfield, NY native led Nazareth with 494 assists, 63 blocks and 35 service aces to go along with 186 kills and 138 digs in 24 matches played.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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