Jim Dietz, the coach at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Illinois, led our panel of coaches and experts that put together this National Junior College Athletic Association All-American teams for VolleyballMag.com. They have one team each for all three NJCAA divisions, including a Player of the Year.
NJCAA Division 3
Player of the Year: Tyriana Settles (Owens, freshman, OH): 640 kills (.339), 542 digs, and 66 aces for the NJCAA D-3 National Champions, leading the team to a 43-4 record. Settles had 42 matches with double-digit kills and registered 26 double-doubles on the season.
2 – Kayla Bekier (Owens, sophomore, OH): 409 kills (.358), 83 blocks.
3 – Sydney Berg (Central Lakes, sophomore, OH): 392 kills (.325)
4 – Rebecca Brown (Owens , freshman, S): 58 aces, 61 blocks, 1,648 assists
5 – Kamryn D’Heilly (St. Cloud Tech , freshman, MH): 290 kills (.372), 93 blocks
6 – Bobby Diamond (Columbus State, sophomore, OH): 508 kills (.317), 109 blocks
7 – Morgan Frisby (Brookhaven, sophomore, S): 351 digs, 1,128 assists
8 – Audrey Jenkins (Columbus State, sophomore, S): 106 kills (.205), 57 blocks, 1,257 assists
9 – Rachel Kandefer (Harper , freshman, MH): 335 kills (.304), 112 blocks
10 – Bailey Marty (Minnesota State –Fr – L): 63 aces, 564 digs
11 – Lorena Perez (Richland, sophomore, OH): 474 kills (.415), 77 blocks, 370 digs
12 – Carrie Rutledge (Rochester, sophomore, OH): 572 kills (.283), 339 digs
NJCAA Division 2
Player of the Year: Faith Simpson (Coffeyville, sophomore, OH): Keyed on by opponents, Simpson was still able to hit .352 with 597 kills while chipping in nearly 3 digs/set to go with her nation-leading aces (135) and aces/set (0.99), leading Coffeyville to a third consecutive Final Four appearance.
2 – Peyton Bowman (Carl Sandburg, sophomore, MH): 639 kills, 152 blocks, 50 aces.
3 – Abigail Burnett (Parkland, sophomore, OPP): 443 kills (.396), 124 blocks.
4 – Emma Clark (Catawba Valley, sophomore, MH): 358 kills (.383), 122 blocks.
5 – Iva Halachevar (Cowley County, freshman, OH): 475 kills, hit .350 with 46 aces.
6 – Cara Haussler (Bismarck State, sophomore, OH): 518 kills, 46 aces, 43 blocks, 537 digs.
7 – Emma Richards (Gulf Coast, freshman, MH): 320 kills (.411), 75 blocks.
8 – Catie Speas (Scottsdale, freshman, S): 258 digs, 962 assists.
9 – Juliana Squire (Ft. Scott, freshman, OH): 506 kills, 55 aces, 62 blocks, 318 digs.
10 – Madi Wagaman (Kirkwood, freshman, S): 364 digs, 1,163 assists.
11 – Ryleigh Warfel (Parkland, sophomore, OH): 463 kills, 42 aces, 72 blocks, 489 digs.
12 – Jazmyn Wheeler (Scottsdale, freshman, OH): 425 kills (.307), 398 digs, 4.42 digs/set.
NJCAA Division 1
Player of the Year:
Deja Arnold (Navarro, sophomore, MB): Hit .472 with 1.54 blocks per set. Hit .556 vs. ranked teams during the season and led Navarro to a 31-0 undefeated NJCAA National Championship posting a career-high 11 blocks in the title contest.
2 – Scherine Dahoue (Miami-Dade, sophomore, OH): 410 kills, hit .328, 347 digs.
3 – Karina de Oliveria (Barton County, sophomore, L): 825 digs, 6.65 digs/set.
4 – Laura de Pra (Seward County, sophomore, S): 48 blocks, 1,403 assists (including 61 in national title game).
5 – Yanlis Feliz (Seward County, freshman, OPP/OH): 530 kills (.409), 90 blocks, 353 digs.
6 – Kortlyn Henderson (Iowa Western – R.So – OH): 569 kills, hit .283.
7 – Isabel Martin (Hillsborough, freshman, OH): 619 kills, 44 aces, 49 blocks, 392 digs.
8 – Yaniris Miller-Green (Miami-Dade, sophomore, OPP/OH): 327 kills (.325), 117 blocks.
9 – Vittoria Price (N.M. Military, freshman, MH): 304 kills, hit .355, 173 blocks.
10 – Mariana Rodrigues (Indian Hills, sophomore, OH/OPP): 553 kills, 43 aces, 59 blocks.
11 – Jordan Russell (Navarro, sophomore, OH): 397 kills, 81 blocks, 229 digs.
12 – Aixa Vigil (Polk State, sophomore, OH/OPP): 394 kills, 41 aces, 50 blocks, 3.22 digs/set.
Jim Dietz has been the head coach at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Ill., since 2006. Dietz, who is also the technical director for the Capital Area Volleyball Club in Springfield, Ill., is the winningest coach in school history. Dietz has contributed before the VolleyballMag.com and also written two coaching books — The Human Side of Coaching and Like Heck She Isn’t a Volleyball Player) — and several novels.
