AVCA All-Region press release

November 24, 2010 - After a 29-2 season in 2010, the Hillsdale College volleyball program started receiving some well-deserved accolades Wednesday afternoon.

Three Charger players were named AVCA First-Team All-Region, and head coach Chris Gravel earned his first career AVCA Regional Coach of the Year honor.

Senior libero Sydney Dow (pictured) was joined by juniors Clara Leutheuser and Ashlee Crowder on the AVCA's All-Midwest Region team, released on Wednesday. In addition, junior setter Apryl Schmucker was named honorable mention All-Region.

Crowder also earned a spot on Daktronics' First-Team All-Region squad. That team was also announced on Wednesday.

For Crowder, Dow and Leutheuser, this represented their second straight all-region recognition from the AVCA. Each are now eligible for All-American status from the AVCA. Those awards should be announced next week, in conjunction with the Elite Eight, which takes place Dec. 2-4 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Dow, the two-time GLIAC Libero of the Year, was First-Team All-Region for the second year in a row. She's led the Chargers in digs each of the past three seasons, and is number two on the school's all-time list in that statistical category. She's also served as team captain each of the past two years.

Crowder, an AVCA Third-Team All-American in 2009, netted her second straight First-Team All-Region honor thanks to a fantastic 2010 campaign that saw her ring up 406 kills while being named the GLIAC Player of the Year. She ranks third in school history with more than 1,200 kills.

Leutheuser also took home her second straight First-Team All-Region honor after improving on her impressive statistical line across the board in 2010. She was named the GLIAC Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, and led the GLIAC in average blocks per set. She was a First-Team All-GLIAC selection and was an ESPN the Magazine Second-Team Academic All-District honoree.

Gravel has been named the GLIAC Coach of the Year four times - including back-to-back awards - but this represents his first Regional Coach of the Year honor. He guided Hillsdale College to a 29-2 record in 2010, tied for the best in school history. The Chargers' 19-0 GLIAC record is tied with the 1998 Northern Michigan University Wildcats for the best single-season GLIAC record in conference history, and he took the team on a 28-match winning streak during the season, also tied for the best mark in school history.