LOUISVILLE, Ky.- A trio of Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers were honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association in their postseason awards release recently as Julija Grubisic Cabo was named a 1^st Team All-American, Abby Toeniskoetter was named a 2^nd Team All-American, and Head Coach Thais Baziquetto-Allen was named the Northeast/Southeast Regional Coach of the Year. 

 

Grubisic Cabo had a huge sophomore season for the Bucs, leading the team with 3.43 kills and 2.58 digs per set.  She contributed to all 26 FSW wins this season, registering 8 or more kills in 24 of 26 matches and reaching double figures in kills in 20 different matches.  She hit .351 on the year which was 43 points higher than any other outside hitter in the country while setting a new FSW single season record for pin hitters. She adds AVCA 1^st Team All-American honors to NJCAA National Player of the Year, FCSAA State Player of the Year and NJCAA and FCSAA Tournament Most Valuable Player awards. 

 

Toeniskoetter took home two NJCAA statistical category championships as a sophomore this season, leading the country with a .465 hitting percentage and 1.50 blocks per set. She averaged 2.65 kills per set on the year, hitting above .300 in 24 of 26 matches including all seven postseason matches.  She earned NJCAA National Tournament All-Tournament Team honors with a big week in Tennessee, putting up a 12 kill, 10 block double-double in the Bucs quarterfinal win over Utah State-Eastern and capped her FSW career high 13 kills and a .611 hitting percentage in the Bucs Championship game win over rival Miami Dade. 

 

Baziquetto-Allen led FSW to their third straight NJCAA National Championship, making FSW the first NJCAA Division I team in history to accomplish the feat.  FSW went 26-1 on the year, dropping just seven sets along the way.  The Bucs won their fifth straight Conference Championship, their third straight FCSAA State Championship, and defeated 17 Top 20 ranked teams along the way to their National Title. 

 

The AVCA All-American awards encompass players from all five two-year factions (NJCAA Division I, NJCAA Division II, NJCAA Division III, CCCAA, and NWAC). It marks the fifth straight season that FSW has had both an AVCA 1^st Team All-American and two AVCA All-Americans overall.