Women's Volleyball | 11/15/2023 3:06:28 PM
Sophomore Kiera Hartpence, along with freshmen Ana Gutman and Kaylene Noble of St. John Fisher University along with junior Tessa Grover of Nazareth University and sophomore Taylor Malone of Empire 8 Champion Alfred University earned 2023 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All- Region honors on Wednesday, Nov. 15. All-Americans will be announced on Nov. 28.
Noble and Grover earned All-Region III first team accolades, while Gutman, Hartpence and Malone were honorable mention selections. All five student-athletes were previously named 2023 All-Empire 8 first team selections.
Noble, the 2023 Empire 8 Player and Rookie of the Year, enjoyed a tremendous debut season for the Cardinals, recording 338 kills to go along with 251 digs, 36 blocks and 33 service aces. She was top-five in the conference in kills and points per set and was top-10 in hitting percentage as an outside hitter. Noble slammed at least 10 kills in 16 consecutive matches from Sept. 22 to Oct. 28. She has recorded 20 or more kills three times this season and had a 20-kill, 20-dig performance in a win on Oct. 7. Noble was a three-time E8 Rookie of the Week and the conference’s Player of the Week on Oct. 9. Noble became the second player in Empire 8 history to earn Player and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season, joining former St. John Fisher standout and four-year E8 Player of the Year Alea Steigerwald, who duplicated the feat in 2018.
Grover, a right side/setter, was a triple-double machine in 2023, delivering eight throughout the season which ranks second among all division III players. Grover finished the season with 347 assists, 342 kills, 218 digs, 68 blocks and 37 service aces, while hitting .248. She was third in the E8 with 4.25 points per set, fourth in kills per set (3.49), sixth in blocks per set (0.69) and fifth in hitting percentage. She had at least 10 kills in a match 20 times. Grover, who was also the 2021 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, garnered All-E8 team honors for the third straight season and All-Region accolades for the second time. She was a three-time E8 Player of the Week and AVCA Division III National Player of the Week on Oct. 3.
Gutman, a middle blocker, enjoyed a tremendous first season for the Cardinals, leading the Empire 8 with 87 total blocks (85) and a .328 hitting percentage, while placing second in blocks per set (0.88). She had at least 10 kills in a match five times and hit over .400 in a match 10 times. She recorded a season-high 17 kills and hit .593 against Heidelberg on Sept. 8 had a season-high nine blocks in a match on Oct. 6. Gutman was named E8 Rookie of the Week three times.
Hartpence was named the E8 Libero/Defensive Specialist of the Year. Hartpence recorded 411 digs and was third in the E8, averaging 3.99 digs per set, in addition to 114 assists and 38 service aces. She has recorded at least 15 digs in 15 matches, including five contests with at least 20 digs.
Malone helped lead Alfred to its first Empire 8 Championship in program history this season. An All-Empire 8 first team selection, Malone has 361 kills, 212 digs and 25 service aces this season. She is second in the E8 in both kills per set (4.06) and points per set (4.44). She also was named to the 2023 Empire 8 Championship All-Tournament Team and has recorded at least 10 kills in a match 21 times this season to go along with 11 double-doubles. Malone was a two-time E8 Player of the Week in 2023.
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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