WILMINGTON, N.C.?UNC Asheville's Kelsey Benorden and Raquel Miotto have each been named to the 2008 North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) University Division All-State Volleyball Team, released Friday.
The team consists of NCAA Division I student-athletes from North Carolina colleges and universities. Nominees were submitted by North Carolina sports information professionals. NCCSIA members voted for the all-state teams. The All-State volleyball team includes one setter, two outside hitters, two middle hitters/blockers, one right side hitter and one defensive specialist.
Benorden was a 1st-Team All-Big South Selection and member of the Big South All-Tournament Team. The Knoxville, Tenn., native led the Big South in double-doubles with 18 in 32 matches, was fourth in the Big South in kills with 458 (3.50 per set), and had three 20-kill matches with a season-high 25 against Winthrop on Oct. 4. In two years, she has collected 958 career kills and will become the 12th Asheville player to reach the 1,000 kills mark early next season. Also strong defensively, Benorden was second on the team in digs and blocks. She had 375 digs (2.86 per set) this season giving her 785 career digs. Only nine players in Asheville history have ever had 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in their careers.
Miotto was the top libero in the Big South Conference this season earning First-Team All-Big South honors by recording a team and conference best 667 digs (5.09 per set) this season. The Aruja, Brazil native had the fourth highest single-season digs in Asheville history and was the only player in the Big South to record 40 or more digs in a match this season. She did it twice with a season-high 47 digs against Charleston Southern on Oct. 17, the third highest total in the NCAA this season. She had 20 matches of 20 or more digs and was in double-figure digs in 31 of 32 matches. Miotto is currently second on both the school and conference all-time digs list with 1,970 career digs. She will begin her senior season just 210 digs shy of breaking the all-time mark.
The rest of the All-State team featured UNC Greensboro middle blocker Kaitlyn Nortz, who makes the team for the third consecutive season while 2007 all-state selections UNCG outside hitter Branagan Fuller, UNC Wilmington right side hitter Megan Nash and High Point setter Kristina Taylor return for their second appearance on the squad. Taylor is joined by Panthers middle blocker Lindsey Raus giving the Big South four players on this year's team.
NCCSIA selects all-state teams in the university (NCAA Division I) and college (Division II, III, NAIA) divisions for women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, softball and baseball. More than 650 student-athletes have been recognized on all-state teams since 2003.
