School-record five Panthers named to AVCA All-Region squad
ORANGE, Calif. – In the wake of its most successful season in 23 years, the Chapman University volleyball team continues to garner off-the-court recognition. The Panthers had five members of their NCAA playoff-bound team named to the All-West Region team, as named by the American Volleyball Coaches Association on Thursday.
Senior OH Ashleigh Gideon, junior S Corrine Ostrovsky and sophomore MB Val Geiger were each named to the All-West Region first team, while senior MB Kate Ferrin and junior libero Carleigh Mueller earned honorable mention. For Ferrin, it's her third AVCA All-Region nod, while the other four received the honor for the first time in their careers.
Chapman's five honorees is its most in school history (Division III). The Panthers last had four players named to the All-West Region team in 1995.
Gideon has paced the Chapman offense all season with a team-best and career-high 352 kills along with 434 digs – the only player in CU history to reach those numbers in both categories in a single season. She is a big reason why the Panthers rank No. 6 in Division III in kills per set (13.7). One of the best-rounded outside hitters the Panthers have ever had, Gideon also has 21 serving aces (third on the team) and 16 blocks (fifth on the team).
The Division III assists leader, Ostrovsky continued to make Chapman history by breaking her own single-season assists mark this year with 1,238 heading into the NCAA Regional Tournament this weekend. She's averaging 11.7 assists per set which is tops in the nation and in just two years as a starter is already third in school history in career assists (2,757). This year, Ostrovsky totaled eight matches with 50-plus assists, including a career-high 67 (one short of the school record) against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Oct. 5.
Meanwhile Geiger had a breakout year in 2012, threatening Chapman's school record for hitting percentage in a single season with a .376 mark, which currently ranks 12th in the nation. Geiger leads the Panthers with 55 blocks, including 14 solo, and ranks second on the team with 341 kills. She failed to record double-digits in kills in just six matches this season and had a career-high 23 against Claremont.
Ferrin is no stranger to accolades, earning All-Region honors for the third straight year. The senior ranks second on the team in hitting percentage (.346) and blocks (36) and third in kills (261). She surpassed a big milestone with her 1,000th career kill versus Cal Lutheran on Saturday and needs just two kills to move into fourth place all-time in Chapman history.
And carrying on the tradition of great Chapman liberos, Mueller gives Chapman its sixth consecutive All-Region selection at the position, following in the footsteps of All-Americans Linda Ly and Alyssa Swatek. Mueller has recorded 556 digs and averaged 5.3 digs per set, which ranked second in the SCIAC this season. In addition, she tied for the team lead with 28 service aces.
Chapman (23-6) has produced its most successful campaign – in terms of winning percentage (.793) – since 1989 when the Panthers went 27-6 in head coach Mary Cahill's first season.
by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director
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