AVCA RELEASE
Senior outside hitter Laney Malloy was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American Honorable Mention, the AVCA announced Wednesday.
Malloy is the first Southeast Missouri women's volleyball player in program history to earn AVCA All-American honors after garnering AVCA Midwest All-Region Honorable Mention laurels last week.
Malloy, the 2021 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year, led the Redhawks with 506 kills (3.98 kills/set) on a .223 hitting percentage with 572.0 total points to go along with 39 aces. She also tallied 359 digs, 49 assists and 41 blocks this season.
The 2021 All-OVC First Teamer and All-OVC Tournament Team selection led the Redhawks with nine kills to go along with four digs, two solo blocks and an assist in SEMO's 2021 NCAA Championship First Round matchup with #7 Kentucky.
Malloy led the OVC in 2021 for total points (12th in the NCAA), service aces and total attacks (second in the NCAA). She was also second for kills (eighth in the NCAA), attacks per set (21st in the NCAA) and points per set. Malloy ranked 10th in the conference for digs.
She paced the league during OVC play in 2021 with 3.92 kills per set (251 kills) and 4.45 points per set (285.0). Malloy was also eighth in conference play with 0.30 aces per set (19 aces). She compiled 251 kills and 192 digs (3.00 digs) over the OVC schedule.
Malloy, a Roselle, Illinois, native, posted a career best 26 kills and 16 digs with five assists in SEMO's five set victory over Austin Peay on Oct. 28. She registered double-digit kills in 28 matches in 2021 and 17 double-double outings.
Malloy was also named OVC Offensive Player of the Week four times and Sports Imports/AVCA Division I National Player of the Week once in 2021.
In the SEMO record books (25-point rally scoring era, 2008 to present), Malloy ranks first for kills and attack attempts in both a single season and for a career at SEMO. She is also first overall for single-season aces and second for career aces.
In her career as a Redhawk, she has notched 1,428 kills, 4,581 total attacks and 1,214 digs (eight in program history).
Each of the three AVCA All-America Teams includes 14 student-athletes. A group of honorable mention selections were made, which includes a combination of players named Conference Player of the Year and 30 additional players identified by the All-America Committee. The Division I AVCA National Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year will be announced on Friday, Dec. 17.
This year's honorees are headlined by two players who became the first five-time AVCA All-Americans: Dana Rettke of Wisconsin and Stephanie Samedy of Minnesota.
The selections were made by the AVCA Division I All-America Committee: Chair: Erin Lindsey, Santa Clara; Keith Barnett, Air Force; Marci Byers, Virginia Tech; Betsy Freeburg, UAB; Mike Gawlik, Central Michigan; Lindsey Gray-Walton, Oklahoma; Don Gromala, Kent State; Shaun Kupferberg, Howard; Jesse Mahoney, Colorado; Tom Mendoza, South Carolina; Mark Rosen, Michigan.