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Baylor volleyball nets two AVCA All-Americans

Baylor volleyball nets two AVCA All-Americans
Posted at 4:21 PM, Dec 12, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-12 17:21:54-05

Baylor volleyball junior Shelly Fanning (second team) and sophomore Yossiana Pressley (honorable mention) were named 2018 AVCA Division I All-Americans for the second-straight season, released by the organization Wednesday morning.

Fanning becomes the program’s second-ever player to earn a spot on the second team while Pressley was tabbed honorable mention in back-to-back years. Fanning and Pressley become the program’s first two-time All-Americans and bring the Baylor total to eight all-time selections.

Since Anna Breyfogle and Taylor Barnes were named honorable mention in 2009, the program has had six All-America selections in the last three seasons under head coach Ryan McGuyre.

Fanning goes down in the history books with the best single-season attacking percentage in program history for the second-straight year, blasting 370 kills on a .397 attack efficiency. The unanimous All-Big 12 First Team honoree and All-Region First Team pick finished with the best hitting percentage in the Big 12 and owns a school-record .741 hitting effort in a five-set match.

“We are so proud and deeply indebted to Shelly and the amazing season she had,” McGuyre said. “Despite being extremely limited in practice, she competed with intensity and unwavering competitive maturity. Her vision for the court is outstanding and her leadership compels her teammates to rise to another level. She was unstoppable, not because she was great at one skill but because she was very good at a great number of skills. I expect her to be first team in 2019.”

Pressley’s All-America honor caps off another impressive campaign for the Cypress, Texas native. On the outside, the sophomore amassed 517 kills and recorded 12 matches with 20 or more kills. The unanimous All-Big 12 First Team and All-Region First Team honoree averaged 4.70 kills and 5.15 points per set to lead the Big 12 for the second-straight season.

She holds the school record for kills in a single match with 39 at Iowa State on Sept. 22.

“Yossi is an amazing young athlete who competes with incredible resiliency while having the ability to simply take over a match,” McGuyre said. “She combines grace and power beautifully with a determined spirit. Her future remains very bright.”

Fanning and Pressley finish the season with 25 combined honors and helped BU make three straight NCAA Second Round matches for the first time in school history.

BAYLOR AVCA ALL-AMERICANS
2009 – Taylor Barnes (honorable mention), Anna Breyfogle (honorable mention)
2016 – Katie Staiger (second team)
2017 – Shelly Fanning (honorable mention), Yossiana Pressley (honorable mention), Hannah Lockin (honorable mention)
2018 – Shelly Fanning (second team), Yossiana Pressley (honorable mention)