Chapman volleyball pair earn All-West Region honors

ORANGE, Calif. – A pair of Chapman University volleyball players were honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association on Thursday. Sophomore MB Kate Ferrin was named to the All-West Region first team, while junior libero Alyssa Swatek earned honorable mention.

In 2010, Ferrin emerged as the next in a long history of high-caliber Chapman middles. The first-year starter led the Panthers with a .299 hitting percentage and 48 total blocks (13 solo) and ranked second on the team with 294 kills. She recorded 19 matches this season with at least 10 kills, including a career-high 18 versus Willamette University (Ore.) in September. The sophomore also became the first middle blocker since Jill Felger in 2007 to earn over 100 digs in a season.

Chapman had at least one middle blocker earn All-Region honors every year from 2005-08, most notably Felger, who was a three-time All-America selection in that time. Ferrin becomes the seventh different middle to earn the award for Chapman since 1997.

Following in the footsteps of another All-American, Swatek earned honorable mention after leading the Panthers with 573 digs in 2010. The defensive specialist tallied 30 digs or more on six occasions, including a season-high 46 digs against Swarthmore College (Pa.) last month. Swatek’s 6.6 digs per set tie her with two-time All-American Linda Ly for second-best in a single season at Chapman.

The Panthers finished the season on a roll, winning 12 of their final 15 matches and posting a record of 17-11 overall.

by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director