4 Bruins highlight AVCA All-Region team
Four Bellevue University volleyball student-athletes earned AVCA all-North Central Region honors in an announcement made by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Bruins who earned all-Region accolades included junior outside hitter Sierra Athen, freshman outside hitter Eve Fountain, junior setter Olivia Galas, and freshman middle blocker Haley Fleischman.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo -- Four Bellevue University volleyball student-athletes earned AVCA all-North Central Region honors in an announcement made by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Bruins who earned all-Region accolades included junior outside hitter Sierra Athen, freshman outside hitter Eve Fountain, junior setter Olivia Galas, and freshman middle blocker Haley Fleischman.
In addition, Galas was named the Region Setter of the Year and Fleischman was tabbed as the Region Freshman of the Year. Micah Rhodes was honored as the North Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year.
A four-time first-team all-North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) selection, Galas led the Bruins and the NSAA with 11.15 assists per set. She finished fourth on the squad with 2.33 digs and third with 0.23 service aces per set. Her 11.15 assists per set rank eighth nationally. Among setters in a 5-1 offense, Galas ranks first nationally with 1.32 kills per set while hitting at a .247 attacking clip.
Galas earned NSAA Setter of the Week honors five times this season and she was honored as the NAIA's National Setter of the Week on Sept. 28. For the fourth time in her career, she was named the NSAA Setter of the Year.
Galas was second on this year's squad with 12 double-doubles. She set a school record earlier this season with the most assists in a three-set match in the rally-scoring era with 55 at Mayville State. Galas has moved up to third on BU's all-time career charts with 5,300 career set assists.
Fountain, last year's NSAA Freshman of the Year and a two-time first-team all-NSAA honoree, led the Bruins with 3.55 kills per set and was third with a .263 attack percentage. A six rotation player, Fountain finished second on the team with 439 digs and fourth with 29 service aces. Fountain also led this year's squad with 20 double-doubles.
Her 3.55 kills per set led the conference, while her .263 attack percentage ranked fourth.
Athen, a three-time first-team all-NSAA selection, was second on this year's team with 2.99 kills per set while leading the Bruins with 30 service aces. She was third on the team with 319 total digs and recorded nine double-doubles on the season.
Athen became the eighth player in school history to record 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career. She currently ranks sixth in school history with 1,504 career kills and 13th with 1,301 career digs.
Fleischman hit .304 on the season while averaging 1.81 kills per set. She ranked fourth in the league with 1.04 blocks per set. She amassed 204 kills and 118 total blocks this season. She recorded a career-high seven blocks on two occasions, both were on the road at Dakota State and at No. 2 Viterbo.
Fleischman had 18 matches where she hit above .300 and 16 matches where she registered four or more blocks.
Working primarily with the middle blockers and offensive side of the game, Rhodes helped the Bruins finish in the top two in the conference in both hitting percentage (.250) and kills per set (14.22), as well as third in blocks per set (1.9). In overall matches, Bellevue's 13.99 kills per set ranked seventh nationally in the NAIA. Under his guidance, Fleischman was named the NSAA Freshman of the Year and first-team all-NSAA, while Sienna Black garnered second-team all-NSAA honors.
The Bruins finished the 2021 season with a 26-8 overall record, advancing to the Quarterfinals of the NAIA National Tournament for the first time since 2000. BU finished second in both the NSAA regular season as well as the NSAA Tournament. It marked the 14th time BU has advanced to the NAIA National Tournament.