3 Oilers Earn AVCA All-American Honors

The University of Findlay volleyball program had three individuals honored as 2016 NCAA Division II All-Americans as the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced their annual awards on Dec. 7.

Senior outside hitter Hannah Tong was tabbed a first team All-American, the Oilers first volleyball player to ever receive first team honors. Tong led the Oilers with 480 kills and .294 during the 2016 campaign. This also marks the third straight season Tong has been honored as an All-American by the AVCA as she captured honorable mention accolades in 2014 and 2015.

Tong was voted the 2016 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Attacker of the Year and was also selected as the 2016 D2CCA Midwest Region Player of the Year. In her career, Tong was also voted first team all-region three times, was a first team all-conference pick three times, and was tabbed the 2014 GLIAC Attacker of the Year as well. She finished her career ranked fifth all-time at Findlay with 1,563 career kills.

In addition, red-shirt junior middle blocker Nickyla Garverick and sophomore setter Hailee Olson earned honorable mention All-American honors. Garverick was also an honorable mention All-American during the 2014 season while Olson was named third team All-American last year and was named the NCAA Division II Freshman of the Year during the 2015 campaign as well.

Garverick, a first team all-region and all-conference pick for the Oilers during the 2016 campaign, recorded 269 kills, hit .366 and accumulated 102 total blocks for Findlay. A three-time all-region pick, Garverick finishes her career as the Oilers record-holder with a .350 career hitting percentage. She was also named the 2014 GLIAC Blocker and Freshman of the Year.

Olson was named first team all-region and earned second team all-conference honors for the Oilers in 2016. She posted 1,250 assists, 140 digs, 73 kills, 52 blocks and 37 aces.