LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Chaminade University women's volleyball team on Wednesday had three members who were recognized by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) on the Division II All-America lists.
Right-side hitter
Ajack Malual (Rome, Italy/Tambosi ETI) was named to the AVCA All-America Third Team, setter
Leilani Ama (Spokane, Wash./Mt. Spokane) the AVCA Division II National Freshman of the Year while also earning All-America honorable mention honors. Libero
Hula Crisostomo (Honolulu/Univ. of Texas El Paso/Moanalua HS), like Ama, was named honorable mention.
Malual, an All-PacWest First Team, AVCA All-West Region First Team and D2CCA All-West Second Team honoree this past season, was Chaminade's kills leader with 382 at a 3.35 per set clip. The sophomore also led the conference with 51 aces and a 0.45 per set average. Malual is the program's first-ever All-American as defined by the AVCA (first, second or third teams).
Ama earned Chaminade's first AVCA major national award after helping to quarterback the Silverswords to a 30-4 mark, the program's first-ever 30-win season, and the No. 1 seed in last weekend's NCAA Division II West Regional. The freshman from Spokane, Washington, had the second-highest assist total in program history with 1,114 and finished second in the Pacific West Conference with a 9.21 assists per set average. She also had 86 kills, 21 service aces and 42 total blocks.
The national freshman of the year award adds to Ama's list of accomplishments this season which includes the PacWest Setter and Freshman of the Year and all-conference first team kudos. She was also AVCA All-West Region Freshman of the Year, AVCA All-West honorable mention and Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) Second Team all-region.
In her only season wearing a 'Swords uniform, Crisostomo logged 590 digs at a 4.92 average, both of which led the PacWest but ranked second all-time in single season school history. She also finished in the conference's top 10 in aces average at 0.36. The graduate transfer from Texas El Paso earned all-conference first team and PacWest Libero of the Year honors.
The rest of the AVCA Division II major award winners (Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Assistant Coach of the Year) will be announced Thursday at the NCAA Division II Championships in Moon Township, Pennsylvania.
