By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Toledo, Ohio---Owens Community College women's volleyball student-athletes Brooke Gyori (Clay/Oregon, Ohio) and Tyanna Smith (Bowling Green/Bowling Green, Ohio) have been selected as 2016 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II All-Americans.
The achievement marks the first time in Owens volleyball history that the team has garnered a First Team and Second Team All-American in the same season. There have been three times in which players have earned First Team and Honorable Mention in the same season (1998, 1999, 2015), and there was one year with a Second Team and Honorable Mention selection in the same season (2011).
For the full list of NJCAA All-Americans from 2016, visit here
Gyori - First Team All-American
Gyori was the nation's only player at the NJCAA Division II level to be named to the first team as a defensive specialist. In fact, she is one of only two defensive specialists/liberos to be named to the All-American team in 2016. On top of that, she became just the third two-time All-American in program history after earning Honorable Mention All-American recognition as a freshman - joining Brittany Egbert (2010-11) and Stephanie Champine (2006-07).
Gyori is also the program's third NJCAA Division II First Team All-American joining Macy Reigelsperger in 2015 and Dakia Sellers in 2002, and she is the program's seventh First Team All-American overall if you include the four players who earned the honor at the NJCAA Division III level from 1997-2000.
In 2016, Gyori recorded 736 digs, 61 service aces, 86 assists and 18 kills over 46 matches. She totaled double digit dig totals in 38 of 46 matches, and she had nine digs in six of those eight in which she fell short. She posted a season-high 32 digs in a five-set win over Catawba Valley in Oct. 27, averaged 22 digs during NJCAA Division II National Tournament play, and finished ninth in the nation at the NJCAA Division II level in digs. For good measure, she was also 24th in the nation in service aces with 61.
During her two-year career, Gyori recorded 1,678 digs, 148 service aces, 161 assists and 34 kills. She finished fourth on the program's career dig list, produced double-digit digs in 82 of 93 career matches, and had a career-high 39 digs in a five-set win over Sinclair Community College on Sept. 30, 2015. She averaged 25 digs over eight NJCAA Division II National Tournament matches in her career. Furthermore, she produced six matches in her career with at least 30 or more digs and 37 matches with 20 or more digs.
Gyori was a four-time Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) player of the week after capturing the award on Sept. 20 and Oct. 25 of her freshman year and Sept. 25 and Oct. 9 of her sophomore year. She was a two-time First Team All-OCCAC recipient, and she became the conference's first non-offensive player to be named the OCCAC Player of the Year since 2009 as a sophomore. Additionally, she was a two-time First Team All-Region XII player, and she was the Region XII District F player of the year as a sophomore.
Smith - Second Team All-American
Smith became the program's sixth Second Team All-American at the NJCAA Division II level after producing 356 kills with a .412 hitting percentage, 10 assists, 19 service aces, 69 digs and 208 blocks as a sophomore. She led the nation in total blocks and finished sixth in the nation in hitting percentage.
Smith, who was an integral part of a very deep and balanced offensive attack for Owens as a sophomore, recorded 11 matches with double digit kills. Six of those 11 came in the team's final eight matches and 10 of them came after Oct. 14. In 35 of 46 matches, she hit over .300. In 27 of 46 matches, she hit over .400. On Sept. 7 against Cuyahoga, she had 13 kills in 14 attempts to hit .929 and break the program's single match hitting percentage record. Then, she nearly re-broke the record on Oct. 21 by hitting .909 against Sinclair.
It would be hard to argue that there was a more improved player in the nation than Smith in 2016. As a freshman, she recorded 119 kills with a .147 hitting percentage, along with five assists, zero aces, 30 digs and 93 blocks. As a sophomore, she improved her kill total by 237 in just three more matches, her hitting percentage by .265 with nearly double the attacks, and her blocks by 115. She doubled her assist total and recorded 19 aces after not having a single one as a freshman.
Smith finished her two-year career with 475 kills and a .320 hitting percentage along with 15 assists, 19 service aces, 99 digs and 301 blocks (56 solo). Her career block total is among the top 10 in program history.
Notes
The Owens women's volleyball program recently finished the best season in program history at the NJCAA Division II level in 2016.
The Express finished 41-5 overall, went 14-0 in Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) play, won the Region XII District F tournament championship and advanced to the NJCAA Division II National Tournament, where they advanced to the national semifinals before finishing third in the nation with a five set win over No. 4 Catawba Valley. The finish represented the highest in program history at the NJCAA Division II level, which the team has competed at since 2001.
In fact, the program has now captured two consecutive conference championships with back-to-back 14-0 records, and two straight Region XII District F tournament championships. After finishing ninth in the nation at the NJCAA Division II National Tournament in 2015, the program has also recorded back-to-back top 10 finishes nationally.
In 2016, the team ascended to No. 2 in the NJCAA Division II national poll, where they spent the final four weeks of the regular season before the poll concluded for the year. Overall, the team spent seven straight weeks ranked in the top five after opening the year at No. 7. The No. 2 ranking was the highest in program history at the NJCAA Division II level.
Following the season, the team has signed a stellar recruiting class thus far that includes: Cassidy Wlodarz, a 5-2 defensive specialist from Cardinal Stritch (OH) High School, Michaela Eisenhauer, a 6-1 outside hitter from Margaretta (OH) High School, Ally Angstmann, a 5-10 outside hitter from St. Marys Memorial (OH) High School, Summer Sweeting, a 5-6 setter from South Central (OH) High School, Brooke Gerdeman, a 6-2 middle blocker from Leipsic (OH) High School, and Jordan Alt, a 5-10 middle blocker from Ottawa-Glandorf (OH) High School.
The team will also return Niki Polce, a 5-4 defensive specialist from New Boston Huron (MI) High School, Leah Ballenger, a 5-7 outside hitter from Fremont Ross (OH) High School, Madison Lammers, a 5-9 outside hitter from New Knoxville (OH) High School, Devon Heitkamp, a 6-1 middle blocker from New Bremen (OH) High School, Erika Angstmann, a 6-1 outside hitter from St. Marys Memorial (OH) High School and Olivia Hermiller, a 5-11 right side hitter from Ottawa-Glandorf (OH) High School. Angstmann earned First Team All-OCCAC recognition as a freshman, while Polce was named Honorable Mention All-OCCAC.
For more info on the Owens volleyball program, visit here