GREENVILLE, S.C. – Less than a day after earning All-America honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), Anderson's Noelle Knutsen continues to build on her already impressive resume by capturing Third-Team All-America recognition from the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA), as announced Thursday morning.
Knutsen, a three-time All-South Atlantic Conference honoree, also garnered AVCA and D2CCA All-Region accolades last month after helping lead the Trojans to their eleventh 21-win season in program history and their fifth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Parker, Colo., native helped lead the Black and Gold to more than 100 wins, five conference tournament appearances and four NCAA Tournament Appearances during her collegiate career.
She reached double-digit kills in 19 matches during this past season, while leading the league during the regular season with a .393 hitting percentage. She wrapped up the year ranking third in the conference with a career-best 325 kills. She was third in the league in points, points per set and in total blocks and stood fourth in the conference in kills per set.
Knutsen is third in the AU record books in total blocks and is fifth all-time with a .317 career hitting percentage.
Alongside Knutsen from the Southeast Region were Emily Johnson (2nd Team) and Shannon Kasprak (3rd Team) from Wingate.
Alaska Anchorage senior outside hitter Eve Stephens was named the 2022 D2CCA Women's Volleyball Ron Lenz Player of the Year.
The Ron Lenz National Player of the Year award was named for long-time South Dakota State Sports Information Director Ron Lenz in 2008. Lenz was instrumental in the foundation of the D2CCA All-America program, which honors outstanding student-athletes across eight NCAA Division II sports.
Wayne State (Neb.) and Wingate led all NCAA Division II teams with two All-America selections while no other program had more than one honoree.
Individually, Charlotte Richards of University of Missouri-St. Louis and Rylee Hladky of MSU Denver are the only repeat All-America selections from 2021.
A total of 21 student-athletes from 19 institutions are represented on the three All-America Teams in 2022.
Sports Information Directors from NCAA Division II schools and conferences sponsoring women's volleyball selected the D2CCA All-America Team. The process begins at the regional level with all First Team All-Region picks advancing to the national ballot. This marks the 16th year that teams have been selected since the All-America program began in 2006.
The Division II Conference Commissioners Association encourages and promotes Division II athletics and high standards of sportsmanship as important elements of higher education. The CCA is a key communications link among the conferences as they discuss views, policies and regulations that impact Division II intercollegiate athletics and works closely with the NCAA as a communications channel to NCAA Division II member colleges and universities.
