University of Minnesota Athletics
Four Named AVCA All-Americans
12/16/2015 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
The University of Minnesota has four representatives on the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America awards, announced today by the AVCA. Daly Santana and Hannah Tapp were named First Team All-Americans, while Samantha Seliger-Swenson is a Second Team honoree and Paige Tapp was named Third Team. It's the first All-America honors for Santana, Hannah Tapp and Seliger-Swenson and the second AVCA honor for Paige Tapp in two years. Minnesota's four honorees is the most in a single year for the program.
Santana, a senior outside hitter from Corozal, Puerto Rico, receives first team honors after being named the Big Ten Player of the Year. Entering the NCAA Final Four this weekend, Santana has hit .336 in tournament play and has recorded a team-best 66 kills. On the season, she has 563 kills and leads the Big Ten in kills per set (4.50). A two-time Big Ten Player of the Week, Santana is also the NCAA leader in kills in a single match with 39 against Louisville earlier this year. With 1,623 career kills, Santana ranks seventh in school history and 13th among active NCAA leaders. Recording a team-best 20 double-doubles this season, Santana has also hit over .300 in 13 matches and has led the Gophers in kills 27 times.
Hannah Tapp, a junior right-side/middle blocker from Stewartville, Minn., follows All-America laurels after being named a unanimous All-Big Ten selection. In the post-season alone, Tapp has posted 50 kills and is hitting .483 in NCAA Tournament play. She ranks second on the team in kills (347), kills per set (2.84) and first in hitting efficiency at .349. She also averages 1.08 blocks per set, which is third on the team. Tapp was named the AVCA Division I Player of the Week once this season and received two weekly Big Ten awards this season. A marketing major in the Carlson School of Management, she was also named a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection.
Seliger-Swenson, a freshman setter from Minnetonka, Minn., was named an All-American as a starting 5-1 setter. In the first two weekends of NCAA play, Seliger-Swenson has 176 assists and has helped the team to a .368 hitting clip. She was also named the AVCA North Region Freshman of the Year honor after being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. On the season, Seliger-Swenson has started in all 34 matches this year. A six-time Big Ten Player of the Week and two-time Setter of the Week, Seliger-Swenson has helped Minnesota to a .272 hitting clip in her rookie campaign. She ranks second in the Big Ten in assists-per-set (11.69), which also ranks 12th nationally.
Paige Tapp, a junior middle blocker from Stewartville, Minn., hauls in her second AVCA All-America honors in back-to-back years. Last week, Tapp was also named a Second Team Academic All-American, announced by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors Association). Holding a 3.87 cumulative grade point average, Tapp is a marketing major in Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. An All-Big Ten honorable mention, Tapp has 22 kills and is hitting .333 in NCAA Tournament play. On the year, Tapp ranks third on the team with 283 kills, is hitting .319. She ranks second on the team in blocks per set at .1.18 and 10th among Big Ten student-athletes and received one Big Ten weekly accolade.
Minnesota plays in the National Semifinal tomorrow at 6 p.m. as the Gophers take on Texas. The match will be on ESPN2.
