LOCK HAVEN, Pa. (Nov. 19) – Senior outside hitter
Joanna Nist (Rockwood, Pa./Rockwood) led four California University of Pennsylvania volleyball players that earned All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division honors from the league’s coaches on Thursday.
The Vulcans placed a league-high four members on the All-PSAC West teams, including first-team selections Nist, senior setter
Renata da Silva (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Colegio Ateneu) and senior middle hitter
Ludmila Amaral (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Afonso Schimidt). Sophomore
Bridget Bielich (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) rounded out the Cal U honorees, as she was named to the All-PSAC West Second team.
It is the fourth All-PSAC West award for da Silva, third for Nist and the second for Amaral and Bielich. The All-PSAC awards are selected by the league’s head coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own players.
A three-time All-PSAC West First-Team performer, Nist becomes the Vulcans’ second-straight PSAC West Athlete of the Year. This season, she leads the 16-team conference with 3.88 kills per set and ranks among the league leaders with a .289 hitting percentage. A two-time Atlantic Regional Player of the Year, Nist is among the all-time leaders in program with 1,838 kills and 1,528 digs and already holds school records with 177 service aces and 504 sets played.
da Silva continued her record-setting career, pacing the league with 11.40 assists per set while recording 2.13 digs and 0.45 blocks per set. A two-time All-American, she broke the career record for assists last year and has now totaled an impressive 5,326 career assists. She is also on the Vulcans’ top 10 all-time list in digs, service aces and sets played.
Amaral earns her second-straight All-PSAC West First-Team award as she ranked third in the league in blocks (1.02) and fourth in hitting percentage (.319), while also averaging 2.57 kills per set. She hit .5000 or better in 10 matches and reached double figure in kills 15 times, including a season-best 18 at North Alabama.
Bielich rounds outs the Vulcans’ All-PSAC West performers, as she averages 2.45 kills on a team-best .336 hitting percentage, which ranks third in the league. The Bethel Park product has had 12 matches with at least 10 kills, including six in PSAC action this season. She had a career-high 20 kills against Saginaw Valley and totaled four blocks in four matches.
Other individual winners include Freshman of the Year Morgan Reineke and Coach of the Year Matt Darling, both from Gannon.