Trio of PSUGA Volleyball Players Honored as All-Americans
After a historic season that saw them make their first trip to the USCAA National Tournament, the PSUGA Volleyball team had three players named All-Americans at the annual USCAA Fall Sports Banquet
Virginia Beach, VA. – The United States Collegiate Athletic Association held their Fall Sports Banquet and announced their 2019 USCAA All-Americans. A Trio of PSUGA Volleyball players were recognized for their hard work in this historic season that took them to the USCAA National Tournament for the first time in program history.
Sophomore Alix Ellis (Derry, PA./Derry Area HS) earned USCAA First-Team All-American honors while freshman Andrea Ghiloni (Granville, OH./Granville HS) and sophomore Juliana Brill (Mount Jackson, VA./Stonewall Jackson HS) each earned USCAA Second-Team All-American Awards. All three women were driving forces behind their team’s success this season and led all three of the major categories.
On the offensive side of the ball, there were few better then Ellis who entered Friday tournament play with 306 kills on 716 total attacks. Her 306 kills ranked her fifth in the entire USCAA and fourth in the Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC). Ellis enters play Friday needing just 12 kills to get to 500 in her career.
Ellis earned the First-Team All-American designation for the second season in a row after earning the award in her freshman year as well. Ellis is also a two-time PSUAC First-Team All-Conference award winner and has been the motor for the PSUGA offense in each of her first two seasons in a PSUGA uniform.
On the passing side of the ball, Ghiloni has burst onto the scene and become the top passer in the PSUAC. This season, Ghiloni led the PSUAC with her 689 assists and ranks fourth in the USCAA in assists. She has had two 40+ assist games this season and has already written her name in the PSUGA record books.
Ghiloni broke the single-season assist record at PSUGA with her 689 assists and currently ranks second in career assists in just her freshman year. Ghiloni entered play Friday needing just 134 assists to break the career record, which is currently held by Adrielle Brisbon who ended her career with 823 assists.
On the defensive side of the ball, Brill led the way with 372 digs entering play on Friday and also holds the new single-season digs record at PSUGA. Brill has stepped up in her first season as the starting libero for head coach Alyssa Finocchi and has ruled the back row. Brill is earning the USCAA All-American award for the first time in her career.
Brill ranks fourth in the PSUAC and fifth in the USCAA with her 372 digs and also sits third in career digs in PSUGA Volleyball history. Brill has 519 career digs entering Friday and sits 218 digs away from breaking the career digs record at PSUGA, held by Alyssa Finocchi who had 737 in her four-year career.
PSUGA earned three USCAA All-American Honorees for the first time in program history and it is just the third time that PSUGA has had multiple All-Americans. It was a great run in the National Tournament for the women as they finished fourth in the field.