Smith and White headline All-Nebraska volleyball honorees
SEWARD, Neb. – Both senior Carli Smith and junior Claire White have been named to Omaha World-Herald’s NAIA All-Nebraska volleyball team, as announced on Christmas day. In addition, sophomore Alayna Kavanaugh and senior Mariah Schamp received honorable mention recognition, giving the Concordia University volleyball program a total of four honorees. Last season Smith and White were tabbed honorable mention by the Omaha World-Herald.
White, a first team All-GPAC, all-region and honorable mention All-America choice, did it all for the Bulldogs in 2014. The native of Exeter, Neb., led the team with 375 kills (14th most in school history) while ranking 29th among all NAIA players with 55 aces. She also piled up 282 digs and passed serve receive at a 93.6 percent rate. White has 714 kills over two seasons at Concordia and 729 in three collegiate seasons. She also has 584 digs in her two years as a Bulldog since transferring from Washburn University.
Smith collected her third-consecutive all-conference honor in 2014 (two second teams, one honorable mention). A two-time GPAC defensive player of the week during her career, the Temecula, Calif., native again led Concordia defensively from the back row. She topped the team in digs for the fourth year in a row by recording 408 as a senior. She also passed serve receive at a clip of 92.6 percent in 2014. In her career, Smith totaled 1,761 digs and an average of 4.18 per set.
For the third-straight year, Schamp appeared on the all-conference list. A two-time second team choice and honorable mention pick as a sophomore, the middle from Arvada, Colo., put up 244 kills, 87 blocks and a team best .301 hitting percentage over 116 sets in her final season as a Bulldog. In her career, Schamp compiled 852 kills and 349 blocks.
Kavanaugh, also an all-region selection, emerged as one of the nation’s most reliable setters in her second season at the collegiate level. Her 1,189 assists in 2014 ranks as the fourth-highest single-season total in program history. The former Lincoln Christian High School star ranked 21st nationally (second in the GPAC) with an average of 10.16 assists per game in directing an attack that posted 12.9 kills per game. Kavanaugh contributed in many other ways, chipping in 103 kills and 24 aces.
OWH NAIA All-Nebraska Team
H Heather Pribyl, Midland, Sr.
H Claire White, Concordia, Jr.
H Mallory Babic, College of St. Mary, Jr.
H Symone Faulkner, Bellevue, Jr.
H Ashlee Harms, Midland, Jr.
H Katie Zoucha, Hastings, Sr.
S Megan Farley, Midland, Sr.
S Beth Walker, Bellevue, Jr.
L Carli Smith, Concordia, Sr.
L Mackenzie Ashton, Nebraska Wesleyan, Sr.
Honorary captain: Megan Farley, Midland
Honorable mention: Alexis Anderson, Aysha Janssen, Jessica Kuehner, Megan Reabe, College of St. Mary; Alayna Kavanaugh, Mariah Schamp, Concordia; Julie Els, Shelbi Mlynczak, Haley Norvell, Doane; Chelsea Entz, Grace; Logan Drueppel, Hastings; KC Heimann, Midland; Alyssa Stanek, Katelyn Walsh, Nebraska Wesleyan; Bre Brandt, Mallory Hull, Rian Kirby, Jennifer Ostrowski, Peru State; Sarah Mertens, Nicole Gates, Melanie Baxa, York College.
