Quartet earn AVCA All-American honors; Siedlik Coach of the Year
The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced its 2024 AVCA NAIA All-American teams today; four Bruins were honored as All-Americans, and head coach Trish Siedlik was honored as the AVCA National Coach of the Year. Junior outside hitter Eve Fountain and junior rightside hitter Kealy Kiviniemi earned first-team honors. Junior middle blocker Savanna Berger and senior middle blocker Haley Fleischman collected honorable mention accolades.
Kiviniemi was named the NSAA Player of the Year and NSAA Offensive Player of the Year while also earning AVCA North Central Region Player of the Year honors. She led the team and the NSAA with 450 kills and was second with 3.36 kills per set and a .353 hitting percentage. Kiviniemi, who earned first-team all-NSAA honors for the second straight season, was third on the team with 71 total blocks. She was named the NSAA Attacker of the Week four times and registered double-digit kills in 29 matches, including 17 straight matches.
Fountain, who earned all-tournament team honors at the NAIA National Championships, garnered first-team all-NSAA accolades for the fourth time in her Bruin career while also collecting first-team AVCA all-North Central Region recognition for the third time. She led the team with 3.37 kills per set and 16 double-doubles. She was second on the squad with 437 kills and 449 digs (3.45 dpg). Fountain, who earned NSAA Attacker of the Week honors twice during the season, pounded a season-high 23 kills on .413 hitting, along with 16 digs in the NAIA Championship match against Indiana Wesleyan.
Berger earned first-team all-NSAA and AVCA all-North Central Region honors after an impressive first season in the middle for the Bruins, which culminated in being named to the all-tournament team at the NAIA National Tournament. She appeared in 34 matches, starting 31, and led the team with 104 total blocks, averaging 0.95 blocks per set. Berger also led the Bruins with a .356 hitting percentage and was fourth with 212 kills. She recorded three consecutive matches with double-figure kill totals, highlighted by a season-high 16 kills on .565 hitting in the Bruins' 3-1 win over Ottawa (Kan.) on Oct. 11. Berger also hit .400 or better in 18 matches throughout the season.
Fleischman earned first-team all-NSAA and all-North Central Region honors for the third time in her Bruin career. She ranked third on the team with a .341 hitting percentage and averaged a team third-best 0.77 blocks per set, finishing the season with 171 kills, 79 blocks, 40 digs, and 21 assists. Fleischman delivered a season-high 12 kills on 17 errorless swings in the Bruins' four-set victory over Carroll on Oct. 12 and committed just two attacking errors in nine matches during October. She tallied a season-high six blocks in the Bruins' 3-1 win over Texas Wesleyan in the NAIA Opening Round.
The Bruins, under the guidance of Siedlik, wrapped up the 2024 season as the NAIA National Runner-Up with an overall record of 32-5. Bellevue captured the North Star Athletic Association regular season and post-season tournament titles while advancing to the NAIA National Tournament for the 17th time in school history. Their second-place finish at Nationals was the best showing in school history. In her 19th season, Siedlik nears the 700-win mark with an overall coaching record of 664-221 (.750).