Schumacher-Cawley, Babcock, Starck headline 2024 VolleyballMag All-American teams
NCAA Women
Lee Feinswog
December 25, 2024
Pitt’s Olivia Babcock powers past the Louisville block in the NCAA semifinals/Andy Wenstrand photo
Penn State’s Katie Schumacher-Cawley was a unanimous choice as the national coach of the year as we announce our 2024 VolleyballMag All-Americans, player of the year and coach of the year.
Pittsburgh right side Olivia Babcock is the national player of the year. Nebraska llbero Lexi Rodriguez and Penn State outside hitter Jess Mruzik also got first-place votes. Also getting votes for second or third were Creighton’s Kendra Wait, Florida’s Kennedy Martin and Wisconsin’s Sarah Franklin.
Penn State setter Izzy Starck was nearly unanimous as the freshman of the year. Ayden Ames of Texas got a first-place vote and other votes for second or third went to Wisconsin’s Charlie Feurbringer, Louisville’s Nayellis Cabello, Pitt’s Ryla Jones and Stanford’s Ipar Kurt.
Our four-team All-American list represents the tremendous talent in NCAA Division I volleyball, and, for that matter, so do our extensive honorable-mentions.
Penn State coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley after winning the NCAA title/Andy Wenstrand photo
Third-year Penn State coach Schumacher-Cawley not only directed her team to its first NCAA title since 2014, she became the first woman head coach to win a DI championship. She won a title with Penn State in 1999, and, incredibly, never misssed a match this season while going through chemotherapy for breast cancer.
Babcock, also the AVCA national player of the year, had a fantastic season for Pitt. The 6-foot-4 right side, the VolleyballMag national freshman of the year in 2023, led the top-ranked Panthers in kills with 538 (4.72/set), had 71 aces (third in the nation at .62/set) and had 128 blocks, nine solo.
Starck capped her first season with an NCAA title. She averaged 10.98 assists per set, was second on the team in digs with 342 (2.53/set) and had 99 blocks.
Our panel of media voters were instructed to pick four teams of 14 players each and each team had to have — but was not limited to — at least one setter and one libero. Accordingly, each of our four teams has at least one of each.
Also worth noting is that the AVCA committee meets and selects its three teams and honorable mentions before the NCAA national semifinals. We wait until the season is completed:
VolleyballMag First-Team All-Americans
Nebraska’s Lexi Rodriguez celebrates a point in the NCAA semifinals/Andy Wenstrand photo
Olivia Babcock, RS, Pittsburgh Brooklyn Deleye, OH, Kentucky Rachel Fairbanks, S, Pittsburgh Sami Francis, MB, Stanford Sarah Franklin, OH, Wisconsin Andi Jackson, MB, Nebraska Kennedy Martin, RS, Florida Kami Miner, S, Stanford Jess Mruzik, OH, Penn State Elena Scott, L, Louisville Izzy Starck, S, Penn State Torrey Stafford, OH, Pittsburgh Lexi Rodriguez, L, Nebraska Kendra Wait, S, Creighton
VolleyballMag Second-Team All-Americans
Mimi Colyer, OH, Oregon Anna DeBeer, OH, Louisville Emma Grome, S, Kentucky Eva Hudson, OH, Purdue Bre Kelley, MB, Pittsburgh Logan Lednicky, RS, Texas A&M Harper Murray, OH, Nebraska Onye Ofoegbu, MB, Oregon Melanie Parra, OH, TCU Bergen Reilly, S, Nebraska Elia Rubin, OH, Stanford Mary Shroll, L, Arizona State Norah Sis, OH, Creighton Madisen Skinner, OH, Texas
VolleyballMag Third-Team All-Americans
Lexie Almodovar, OH, Dayton Maddy Bilinovic, L, Creighton Nina Cajic, OH, Tennessee Raven Colvin, MB, Purdue Charlie Feurbringer, S, Wisconsin Gillian Grimes, L, Penn State Julia Hanson, OH, Minnesota Jordan Iliff, OH, Missouri Khori Louis, MB, Florida State Ava Martin, OH, Creighton Elena Oglive, L, Stanford Naya Shime, RS, SMU Raina Terry, OH, Illinois Argentina Ung, S, Arizona State
VolleyballMag Fourth-Team All-Americans
Caylen Alexander, OH, Hawai’i Ally Batenhorst, OH, USC Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, MB, Texas A&M Flormarie Heredia Colon, OH, Miami Camryn Hannah, OH, Penn State Kate Georgiades, L, Houston Caroline Kerr, S, Tennessee Audrey Koenig, OH, Florida State Emily Londot, RS, Ohio State
Editor’s note: Due to an editing error, Charitie Luper was left off the fourth team. Rather than take anyone off, we’ve added Luper and apologize for the mistake.
