December 3, 2014
Five Spartans Earn All-America Selections
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The American Volleyball
Coaches Association (AVCA) announced its selections for the 34th
annual AVCA All-America teams for NCAA Division II women's
volleyball. No. 1 ranked University of Tampa Spartans volleyball
juniors Marissa Lisenbee, Jessica Wagner, Berkley Whaley, and
senior Kahley Patrick all earned the prestigious selections.
Senior Meagan Burke also joined the honorees with a Daktronics
First Team All-America Selection.
Hailing from Seminole, Fla., junior Marissa Lisenbee earns her
second AVCA All-America First Team selection, after capturing the
honor for the first time during her sophomore season. Competing in
29 of the Spartans' 31 games, the junior currently ranks second on
the team with 255 kills, boasting a .366 attack average. The
right-side hitter has also recorded 43 blocks this season, and was
just named to the AVCA All-South Region First team and earned a
Daktronics All-America Honorable Mention.
Jessica Wagner, a junior from Cape Coral, Fla., earned an AVCA
All-American First Team selection after yet another impressive
year. Heading into the national tournament with a .424 hitting
percentage, the middle blocker becomes the 31st player in Tampa
history to earn All-American honors. Earning her second-straight
AVCA First Team All-South Region selection just last week, Wagner
has been a defensive weapon for the Spartans, averaging 0.90 kills
per set. The junior was also announced Wednesday as a Daktronics
First Team All-America Selection.
For the second-straight year, junior Berkley Whaley earns AVCA
All-America First Team honors as well. The outside hitter currently
maintains a .366 attack percentage, averaging over 4 kills per set
and nearly 3 digs per set. Just last week, she was named to the
AVCA All-South Region First Team, and at the close of the regular
season, Whaley was announced as the Sunshine State Conference
Player of the Year for the second-straight season. She wraps up the
post-season accolades with a Daktronics All-America First Team
selection.
Senior setter Kahley Patrick wraps up the AVCA All-American
awards with a Second Team selection. The four-year starter from
Clearwater, Fla. is among the national leaders this season with
1,160 assists. Averaging 12.08 assists per set, Patrick also leads
the team in digs with 254 and ranks second with 20 service aces.
Currently in fifth place in the Spartan record books with 4,568
career assists, Patrick goes down in history as the 32nd Tampa
player in history to receive an All-America selection, a number
that leads the nation for Division II. In addition, Patrick was
honored by Daktronics on Wednesday with a Second Team All-America
selection.
Earning a First Team All-America Daktronics selection, senior
Meagan Burke a senior middle blocker and a two-sport star in both
volleyball and softball, boasting Academic All-American honors in
both sports. Burke is a three-time AVCA All-South Region selection
and two-time All-American. The Jacksonville, Fla. native currently
leads the nation with a .422 attack percentage, and was announced
just last week as an AVCA All-South Region Honorable Mention.