2021 D2CCA NCAA Division II Volleyball All-America Teams
Just one day after earning All-American status from the AVCA for 2021, Hillsdale College seniors Allyssa Van Wienen and Lindsey Mertz earned recognition from another big national organization.
Both Van Wienen and Mertz were recognized as NCAA Division II All-Americans by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association on Wednesday afternoon, becoming the sixth and seventh players, respectively, in Charger volleyball history to earn All-American honors from both major awards organizations in the same calendar year.
Just 21 players, broken up into three teams, were recognized by the D2CCA, with seven more earning honorable mention status. The teams were voted on by Sports Information Directors at NCAA DII institutions across the country. Hillsdale was one of just five teams with multiple players recognized on the list, along with West Florida, Washburn, Cal St. San Bernardino and St. Cloud State.
Van Wienen was selected to the D2CCA second team, after receiving first team honors from the organization in 2019, as well as All-American honors from the AVCA in both years. She is just the second player in Hillsdale College volleyball history to be recognized by both organizations in multiple seasons, joining Ashlee Crowder ('12), who was recognized by the AVCA and D2CCA in both 2010 and 2011.
Also a 2020-21 CoSIDA Academic All-American, Van Wienen continues to be an impact player for the Chargers in her final season, finishing second on the team in kills (340) and kills per set (3.18), leading the team and the Great Midwest Athletic Conference in blocks per set (1.01) and solo blocks (31) and finishing second on the team with 436.5 points.
For her career, Van Wienen is also leaving an outsized mark on Hillsdale College, sitting third in program history with 1,443 career kills and fifth with 419 career blocks. She's the only player in Charger history to exceed 1,400 kills and 400 blocks in her career.
Van Wienen has been stellar throughout the Chargers' NCAA Tournament run so far, contributing 39 kills and hitting .315 in three victories, including upsets of the top two seeds in the Midwest Region, Michigan Tech and Ferris St.
Mertz received third-team recognition from the D2CCA, after being named honorable mention by the AVCA on Tuesday.
Additionally, Mertz has earned three All-Region honors, two first team from the D2CCA, as well as AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year honors earned in 2017. This season, Mertz has been one of the top setters in the country, with an 11.58 assists per set ratio that leads the G-MAC and ranks fifth in the nation.
The senior from Frankenmuth, Michigan already held the Chargers' single-season assists record for the 25-point rally scoring era, set in 2018, and this year Mertz became the program's career leader, surpassing 2009 graduate Stephanie Booms' mark of 4,640 in October. Mertz now has 5,170 assists for her career, and her 1,193 assists this season are the fourth-most for a single season in program history with the record of 1,264 within reach if the Chargers can keep winning in the Elite Eight.
Mertz also has had an excellent postseason, with 50-plus assists in three of her last four matches, including 57 in the Midwest Regional final win over Ferris State.
Van Wienen, Mertz and the 30-4 Chargers are among the eight teams still playing in the NCAA Division II Tournament, with the national championship set to be decided the weekend. Hillsdale opens play in Tampa, Florida on Thursday at 5 p.m. in a quarterfinal matchup with fifth-seeded Gannon. A victory there would advance the Chargers to the Final Four round against either top-seeded Tampa or eighth-seeded Augusta at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
Photo Courtesy of Ferris State Athletics