Dec. 14, 2011
» Complete AVCA All-America Teams LEXINGTON, Ky. - Husky senior Bianca Rowland earned the top honor of her career today, as she was named to the All-America Second Team by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, her first time on one of the nation's top three All-America teams. The awards will be presented Dec. 16, 2011, in San Antonio, Texas at the AVCA All-America/Players of the Year Banquet. Rowland, a native of Lynnwood, Washington, was previously an All-America honorable mention in 2009 and 2010. Only one middle blocker was named to the 14-person First Team, with Rowland and two other middle blockers on the 14-person Second Team. Rowland is the only middle from the Pac-12 on one of the first two teams, and one of eight Pac-12 players overall on the three All-America teams. Washington has had at least one player named to the prestigious AVCA All-America First, Second, or Third Teams since 2002. Last season seniors Kindra Carlson and Becky Perry were both named to the Second Team. Rowland is the third middle blocker to earn a spot on one of the top three teams during Head Coach Jim McLaughlin's tenure, joining Alesha Deesing (2006 - 2nd) and Jessica Swarbrick (2006 - 3rd; 2007 - 2nd; 2008 - 2nd). Rowland averaged a career-best 1.50 blocks per set this season, second in the Pac-12 and seventh nationally, and her .354 attack percentage ranked fifth in the conference. She wound up third in career blocks at UW with 492, and second in career attack percentage at .387. Rowland had a slow start offensively to her senior season, but rolled late in the year, hitting over .400 in nine of UW's final ten matches. Her 1,225.5 career points are sixth in school history and tops among middle blockers. Points began being tracked in 2001. Over the past few weeks, Rowland was named to the All-Pac-12 Team as well as the All-Pacific Region Team. She was a two-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week this season. |
