Sierra Named NJCAA First Team All American

LIBERAL, Kan. – A month after earning Most Valuable Player and First Team All-Jayhawk Conference, Seward County volleyball player Luz Sierra can add another accolade to her list of awards: NJCAA First Team All-American.

Sierra becomes the 15^th NJCAA All-American in Seward history and just the sixth to garner First Team honors.  She also become the first middle blocker to be named First Team All-American and the second overall, joining Angie McLeod, who was named Second Team All-American in 1999.

After being known for her defensive presence her freshman year, Sierra’s offensive performance improved mightily during her sophomore season.  She finished with a .457 hitting percentage, ranking second in the nation and second in single-season history for the Lady Saints.  Sierra also finished with 67 solo blocks, which ranked her 7^th in the nation.

Sierra helped lead the Lady Saints to a 32-7 season with a second straight undefeated conference record, going 16-0 on the year. Seward captured their second Region VI Championship in three years before making history at the NJCAA National Tournament with a program best 4^th place finish.

This marks the third consecutive year that a Lady Saint has been named to the NJCAA All-America team and the second straight first team selection. It is just the second time in program history to have back-to-back First Team All-American selections (Caroline Bozikis-2000, Ashyn Carter-2001).