INDIANAPOLIS – Great Midwest Athletic Conference volleyball student-athletes have received regional and national honors as announced by the D2 Collegiate Commissioner’s Association (D2CCA) and American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).
 
The Great Midwest season concluded with Hillsdale winning the conference championship, both divisional and tournament. The Chargers received a No. 8 seed as an AQ into the NCAA Championship Midwest Regional bracket.
 
For the second year in a row, Hillsdale senior right side Paige VanderWall played a starring role during Hillsdale’s season run and received plenty of attention from the voters for her accomplishments.
 
VanderWall, a two-time Great Midwest Player of the Year since Hillsdale joined the league, was an AVCA Third Team All-American selection. She had earned second-team honors in 2017 as one of the few duplicate award winners on the prestigious list.
 
VanderWall was also tabbed to the AVCA All-Midwest Region Team for the second year in a row. The D2CCCA recognized the 5-10 product from Kentwood, Mich., as its Midwest Region Player of the Year, a first in Great Midwest volleyball history.
 
VanderWall was the league leader in kills per set this year (4.17) and total attack attempts (981). Her 4.66 points per set number ranks third in conference single-season history.
 
Also joining VanderWall as an AVCA All-American was Findlay’s junior middle blocker Shelby Kin. Kin helped the Oilers advance to the conference championship matchup for the second year in a row and helped UF lead the league as a team in hitting percentage (.276).
 
Kin was a first-team all-conference selection as a middle and finished second in the Great Midwest in hitting percentage (.343). She was also a top-10 points accumulator and earned conference weekly divisional accolades for the second time in her career.
 
Kin also joined VanderWall on the AVCA All-Midwest Region Team. Findlay’s senior setter Hailee Olson capped an illustrious career with honorable mention honors her two-year numbers with the league would have been on a record-setting pace as she split time between two conferences.  
 
Additionally recognized to the D2CCA All-Midwest Region Team was Hillsdale sophomore setter Lindsey Mertz, the league leader in assists. Sophomore middle blocker Allyssa Van Wienen also represented the Chargers on the first team.
 
The second team was highlighted by Tiffin’s junior middle Jenna Huffman, who produced one of the finest single seasons in league history. Huffman was also joined on the second-team unit by Hillsdale senior outside Kara Vyletel.
 

2018 AVCA All-American Team

Name	School	Position	Hometown
Paige VanderWall (3rd Team)	Hillsdale College	RS	Kentwood, MI
Shelby Kin (Honorable Mention)	University of Findlay	MB	Carey, OH

2018 AVCA All-Midwest Region Team

Paige VanderWall	Hillsdale College	RS	Kentwood, MI
Shelby Kin	University of Findlay	MB	Carey, OH
Hailee Olson (Honorable Mention)	University of Findlay	S	Malone, WI

2018 D2CCA All-Midwest Region Team

Paige VanderWall (Player of the Year)	Hillsdale College	RS	Kentwood, MI
Paige VanderWall (1st Team)	Hillsdale College	RS	Kentwood, MI
Lindsey Mertz (1st Team)	Hillsdale College	S	Frankenmuth, MI
Allyssa Van Wienen (1st Team)	Hillsdale College	MB	Grand Rapids, MI
Kara Vyletel (2nd Team)	Hillsdale College	OH	Ann Arbor, MI
Jenna Huffman (2nd Team)	Tiffin University	MB	McComb, OH