OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The Association of Division III Independents released their 2016 All-Independent Women's Volleyball teams this morning. After spending the 2015-16 season in the Great South Athletic Conference, Mount Mary University came back to the AD3I this season and sent four Blue Angels to the All-Independent Women's Volleyball teams.
Spending half the season as the Blue Angels libero and the rest in any position MMU needed, Marissa Tun (Jr./Greenfield, Wis.) was recognized on the AD3I Second Team. Tun cleaned the floor with a team leading 303 digs and also led MMU with 220 assists. Tun was very effective from outside the serve line as she was third on the team in service aces (34).
Joining Tun on the AD3I Second Team, fellow junior Payton Hintz (Almond, Wis.) made her effort known this season as the versatile setter was second on the team in assists (117), third on the team in kills (53), second in service aces (38) and second on the team in total blocks (8). This is the third straight season Hintz has made an association/conference team after making the AD3I Second Team in 2014-15 and the GSAC volleyball All-Academic Team in 2015-16.
Playing in the libero role for the second half of the year, Alyssa Nelson (Jr./Rockford, Ill.) stepped into the position late in the season to anchor the Blue Angels lineup and allow Tun to play more of the court. Nelson covered nearly the entire backcourt with 211 digs on the year, enough to place her second on the Blue Angels in that category. That effort earned her a spot on the AD3I All-Association third team.
Rounding up the 2016-17 award winning Blue Angels, Lauren Harris (So./Sheridan, Ill.) led the team in kills (137), total attacks (527), service aces (48) and hitting percentage (.065). Harris was also only one of three Blue Angels to play in every single set for MMU in 2016-17: Marrisa Tun and Kalyn Jarrett the others. This season's performance by Harris earned her a slot on the AD3I All-Association third team.
With no seniors on the team, sending over half of the team's starting lineup to the AD3I All-Association teams brings optimism to Blue Angels fans.
For more updates on the Blue Angels stay tuned to mtmaryathletics.com.
