Dec. 11, 2024
Ferris State volleyball player Olivia Henneman-Dallape earns AVCA National Player of the Year as team heads into Elite Eight competition
A trio of Ferris State University women's volleyball standouts have claimed American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America accolades, and the Bulldogs landed two major national awards on the eve of the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, which takes place starting on Thursday in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Ferris State senior Olivia Henneman-Dallape of Oregon, Ohio, was named AVCA National Player of the Year, becoming the first Bulldog player ever to claim the prestigious distinction.
Ferris State’s Tia Brandel-Wilhelm was chosen AVCA Division II National Coach of the Year, the first time she’s received the honor in her 30-year career.
Henneman-Dallape, majoring in Nursing, also garnered AVCA All-America First Team honors while senior setter Kaylee Maat, of Hudsonville, an Elementary Education major, was chosen as a AVCA All-America Second Team selection and senior outside hitter Claire Nowicki, a radiography major, of Clarkston garnered AVCA Honorable Mention All-America honors.
Both Maat and Nowicki garnered AVCA All-America honors for the third year in a row while Henneman-Dallape earned her second All-America nod.
Nowicki is a three-time honorable mention choice while Maat previously earned third-team recognition in 2022 along with honorable mention accolades last year.
Henneman-Dallape was a second-team choice a year ago in 2023 before earning first-team status this campaign.
Together, the three Ferris State players have helped lead the Bulldogs to the NCAA Division II National Quarterfinals where top-seeded team will face eighth-seeded Bentley University of Massachusetts in the Elite Eight on Thursday night at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls.
This year, behind the play of the three All-Americans and under Brandel-Wilhelm's leadership, the Bulldogs captured the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships along with the NCAA D2 Midwest Regional title.
Ferris State is a nation-best 34-0 overall this year heading into the DII Elite Eight.