University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Three AVCA All-America Picks for Panthers
12/13/2017 10:44:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
2017 AVCAÂ All-America Teams
For the only the second time in program history, the University of Northern Iowa volleyball squad has three players on the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America teams.
Senior Heather Hook, junior Piper Thomas and sophomore Karlie Taylor earned spots on the 2017 AVCA Honorable Mention All-America team.
It is a part of a record-setting performance from the Missouri Valley Conference as six league players earned All-America status. Missouri State's Lily Johnson was named to the third team, while Johnson's teammate Emily Butters, Illinois State's Courtney Pence and the trio of of Panthers in Hook, Taylor and Thomas earned honorable mention status.
Heather Hook - Senior, Setter, Grundy Center, Iowa
Missouri Valley Conference's Setter of the Year ... ranks second in the nation in total assists (1,530) ... leads the MVC in assists/set (11.68) ... became the sixth UNI setter to reach 4,000 career assists ... only the 23rd MVC player to surpass 4,000 assists ... set a career-high with 64 assists in a five-set win over No. 19 Missouri ... has tallied 10 50-plus assist matches in 2017 ... set a career-high with eight kills in a five-set win over Valparaiso ... set a career-high with 23 assists in a five-set match vs. Illinois State ... has registered 11 double-doubles this season ... ranks fourth on UNI's all-time assist list with 4,288 career assists ... earned first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors in 2017 ... named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete honorable mention squad (majoring in finance, economics, real estate) ... Co-MVP of Omaha Challenge when UNI knocked off Nebraska, 3-1.
Piper Thomas - Junior, Middle Hitter, Jesup, Iowa
Three-time MVC Player of the Week in 2017 ... ranks first on the team in kills (524 - 4.00/set), blocks (119) and hitting percentage (.360) ... top hitter in MVC matches only (.403) ... ranks second in the league in MVC matches only in kills/set (4.28) ... has posted six 20-plus kill matches this season ... only player in the country to have a match with 28 kills, no attack errors (.563) and 10 blocks (vs. Illinois State in the MVC Tournament semifinal) ... she posted 20 kills in four-set matches on three occasions (20 vs. No. 18 USC; 20 vs. Missouri State; 28 at Illinois State) ... three-time MVC Player of the Week honoree in 2017 ... Thomas was named to the first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference squad ... her 524 kills ranks as the fourth-best single-season total in UNI history ... her 604.5 points is the fifth-highest single-season total in program history ... All-Tournament Team Austin Peay's Governors Challenge and 2017 MVC Tournament ... MVP of Austin Peay's Governors Challenge (UNI defeated Missouri, Middle Tennessee, Austin Peay) ... MVC Scholar-Athlete Team selection (majoring in movement & exercise science).
Karlie Taylor - Sophomore, Outside Hitter, Eddyville, Iowa
Ranks second on the team in kills (507 - 3.87/set) ... her 507 kills ranks as the sixth-best single-season total in school history ... she ranks third on the team in digs (475 - 3.63/set) ... tallied first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors for the first time in her career ... set a program record for attacks in a season with 1,373 ... led the team in double-doubles (26) ... All-Tournament team selection at Creighton's Bluejay Invitational and Austin Peay's Governors Challenge.
UNI's AVCAÂ All-Americans
1999 - Shannon Perry (2nd Team)
2002 - Molly O'Brien (3rd Team)
2009 - Ellie Blankenship (H.M.)
2009 - Bre Payton (H.M.)
2010 - Bre Payton (2nd Team)
2010 - Ellie Blankenship (3rd Team)
2010 - Michelle Burow (H.M.)
2011 - Bre Payton (2nd Team)
2011 - Krista DeGeest (H.M.)
2013 - Shelby Kintzel (H.M.)
2017 - Heather Hook (H.M.)
2017 - Karlie Taylor (H.M.)
2017 - Piper Thomas (H.M.)
For the only the second time in program history, the University of Northern Iowa volleyball squad has three players on the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America teams.
Senior Heather Hook, junior Piper Thomas and sophomore Karlie Taylor earned spots on the 2017 AVCA Honorable Mention All-America team.
It is a part of a record-setting performance from the Missouri Valley Conference as six league players earned All-America status. Missouri State's Lily Johnson was named to the third team, while Johnson's teammate Emily Butters, Illinois State's Courtney Pence and the trio of of Panthers in Hook, Taylor and Thomas earned honorable mention status.
Heather Hook - Senior, Setter, Grundy Center, Iowa
Missouri Valley Conference's Setter of the Year ... ranks second in the nation in total assists (1,530) ... leads the MVC in assists/set (11.68) ... became the sixth UNI setter to reach 4,000 career assists ... only the 23rd MVC player to surpass 4,000 assists ... set a career-high with 64 assists in a five-set win over No. 19 Missouri ... has tallied 10 50-plus assist matches in 2017 ... set a career-high with eight kills in a five-set win over Valparaiso ... set a career-high with 23 assists in a five-set match vs. Illinois State ... has registered 11 double-doubles this season ... ranks fourth on UNI's all-time assist list with 4,288 career assists ... earned first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors in 2017 ... named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete honorable mention squad (majoring in finance, economics, real estate) ... Co-MVP of Omaha Challenge when UNI knocked off Nebraska, 3-1.
Piper Thomas - Junior, Middle Hitter, Jesup, Iowa
Three-time MVC Player of the Week in 2017 ... ranks first on the team in kills (524 - 4.00/set), blocks (119) and hitting percentage (.360) ... top hitter in MVC matches only (.403) ... ranks second in the league in MVC matches only in kills/set (4.28) ... has posted six 20-plus kill matches this season ... only player in the country to have a match with 28 kills, no attack errors (.563) and 10 blocks (vs. Illinois State in the MVC Tournament semifinal) ... she posted 20 kills in four-set matches on three occasions (20 vs. No. 18 USC; 20 vs. Missouri State; 28 at Illinois State) ... three-time MVC Player of the Week honoree in 2017 ... Thomas was named to the first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference squad ... her 524 kills ranks as the fourth-best single-season total in UNI history ... her 604.5 points is the fifth-highest single-season total in program history ... All-Tournament Team Austin Peay's Governors Challenge and 2017 MVC Tournament ... MVP of Austin Peay's Governors Challenge (UNI defeated Missouri, Middle Tennessee, Austin Peay) ... MVC Scholar-Athlete Team selection (majoring in movement & exercise science).
Karlie Taylor - Sophomore, Outside Hitter, Eddyville, Iowa
Ranks second on the team in kills (507 - 3.87/set) ... her 507 kills ranks as the sixth-best single-season total in school history ... she ranks third on the team in digs (475 - 3.63/set) ... tallied first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors for the first time in her career ... set a program record for attacks in a season with 1,373 ... led the team in double-doubles (26) ... All-Tournament team selection at Creighton's Bluejay Invitational and Austin Peay's Governors Challenge.
UNI's AVCAÂ All-Americans
1999 - Shannon Perry (2nd Team)
2002 - Molly O'Brien (3rd Team)
2009 - Ellie Blankenship (H.M.)
2009 - Bre Payton (H.M.)
2010 - Bre Payton (2nd Team)
2010 - Ellie Blankenship (3rd Team)
2010 - Michelle Burow (H.M.)
2011 - Bre Payton (2nd Team)
2011 - Krista DeGeest (H.M.)
2013 - Shelby Kintzel (H.M.)
2017 - Heather Hook (H.M.)
2017 - Karlie Taylor (H.M.)
2017 - Piper Thomas (H.M.)
Players Mentioned
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