AVCA All-America Teams

WINONA, Minn. — Now that's what you call an encore.
 
In a season in which she had already garnered First-Team All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and AVCA First-Team All-Central Region honors, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota's Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) collected the ultimate individual post-season prize Tuesday.
 
All-American honors.
 
The Cardinal volleyball team's offensive leader, not to mention the leader in kills and kills-per-set in the entire MIAC, Blattner was back in the post-season awards spotlight when the American Volleyball Coaches Association handed out its All-America honors Tuesday—becoming the first player in program history to land a spot on one of the AVCA's three All-American teams, earning Second-Team honors.
 
"I could not be happier for Brandi," said Saint Mary's coach Mike Lester, who has coached several AVCA honorable-mention All-Americans during his 19 years as the Cardinal head coach, but Blattner is the first to make one of the AVCA's top teams. "She had a phenomenal sophomore year for us, and it's great to see her being recognized for that outstanding play."
 
Blattner was among 42 players named to the AVCA's three All-America Teams—14 for each the First-, Second-, and Third-Teams—and was one of just two from the MIAC to be recognized. MIAC Player of the Year Nora Holtan from Gustavus was named to the First-Team.
 
Blattner had a remarkable sophomore season for the Cardinals, leading the team—and conference—in kills (440) and kills-per-set (4.54), while adding five assists, 19 aces, 248 digs, and 24 blocks.
 
The sophomore outside hitter recorded 20 or more kills in a match seven times this season—including a school-record 31 kills in Saint Mary's regular-season meeting against Bethel on Oct. 21—and owned a team-high 13 double-doubles. Blattner's 31-kill effort against Bethel was not only a school record, but also the top four-set performance in all of NCAA Division III.
 
The Cardinals—who qualified for post-season play for fourth consecutive season—closed out the 2016 campaign with a 24-5 overall record, falling to Bethel in the quarterfinals of the conference playoffs.