LEXINGTON, Ky. – Colorado volleyball junior pin attacker Ana Burilovic (Split, Croatia) was selected to the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s (AVCA) All-America Third Team on Wednesday, Dec. 17.
 
Burilovic’s selection makes her the volleyball program’s seventh All-American (sixth athlete), and she collects the fifth presented by the AVCA (since 1981). She becomes the Buffs’ first AVCA All-American since middle blocker Naghede Abu was named to the third team at the conclusion of the 2018 season. The Buffs also boast six previous AVCA All-American honorable mentions and two Volleyball Magazine All-American honorable mentions.
 
“We couldn’t be more proud of Ana’s efforts and achievements this season, and it’s gratifying to see her get the recognition she deserves,” head coach Jesse Mahoney stated. “She has grown into one of the premier six-rotation players in the country.”
 
Last week, Burilovic was named to the AVCA All-West Region First Team for the first time in her career, just a week after being selected to the 2025 All-Big 12 First Team. On Sept. 30, Burilovic was named AVCA Player of the Week and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after aiding the Buffs in their road sweep over then-No. 14 BYU and then-No. 23 Utah. She was named Big 12 OPOW again on Nov. 4, after leading Colorado’s win over Northern Colorado with 30 kills, hitting .329, nine digs, two blocks and one ace (Oct. 28). At the beginning of the season, Burilovic was selected to the 2025 Preseason Big 12 Team, and she was on the Anteater Classic and Buffs Invitational all-tournament teams.
 
Burilovic led the Big 12 in points per set with 5.47, good for sixth in the NCAA, and in kills per set with 4.71, good for ninth in the country. She was also third in conference for aces per set with 0.43, landing at 46th in the country. In the NCAA, Burilovic was also fifth for total points (656.0), seventh for total attacks (1,424), eighth for total kills (565), 17th for attacks per set (11.87), and 23rd for total aces (51).
 
In her 32 matches in 2025, she has accumulated 565 kills, 211 digs, 51 aces, 64 blocks and 19 assists. Burilovic has four kill-dig double-doubles on the season, now totaling 10 in her career. She has had 13 matches with 20 or more kills this season (a CU VB record). Burilovic surpassed 1,000 career kills at West Virginia, becoming the 19th Buff to total over 1,000 career kills. She now has 1,061 career kills, 521 career digs, 118 career aces and 116 career blocks.
 
At the end of the 2025 season, Burilovic leads the program in rally-scoring era aces with 115, putting her at eighth overall. She is also 15th in CU history for career kills (1,061), and second overall for kills in a single season with 537. Additionally, with two 30-kill matches against UCF (Oct. 2) and at Northern Colorado (Oct. 28), she is only the second player in Colorado Volleyball history to have two matches in a single season with over 30 kills.
 
Fourteen student-athletes across the country were selected to the AVCA All-America Third Team, 14 to the second team and 14 to the first team. Fifty-seven were also named Honorable Mention. A full list of the honorees can be found at avca.org.
 
Under 10th-year head coach Jesse Mahoney, Colorado finished the 2025 season 23-9 and went 12-6 against Big 12 opponents. Coach Mahoney has led the Buffs to a 164-135 record in his 10 seasons at the helm. The Buffs made their 22nd appearance in the NCAA tournament after the conclusion of the regular season, sweeping American in the first round before falling to four-seed Indiana in the second round. The Buffs’ last match against the Hoosiers marks the 12th second round appearance in program history. Colorado has 20 wins this season, marking the program’s 13th 20-win season and its first since 2022. With 23 wins this season, this is the most in a season since 2017 and ties for the third-most wins in a season in program history.
 
For more information on the Colorado volleyball team, please visit cubuffs.com/vb. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffsvb on Instagram, X, and Facebook.
 

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced its annual All-American selections on Wednesday morning ahead of the NCAA Tournament semifinals with UNI’s Cassidy Hartman earning All-American Honorable Mention recognition.

The announcement marks the 17th All-American selection in program history and 16thin the Bobbi Petersen era (1997, 2001-pres.). A full list of UNI’s AVCA All-American can be found below.

The 2025 MVC Player of the Year and a First Team All-MVC selection, Hartman led the league with 4.64 kills per set, along with 2.74 digs per frame, 58 total blocks and 19 aces during her junior season. Starting all 32 matches during her junior season, Hartman recorded ten or more kills in 27 matches this season, as well as six matches with 20+ kills, including a career-high 26 terminations at Southern Illinois in the regular season. 

She also posted 14 double-double outings. A three-time MVC Player of the Week this season and a member of the Capital Credit Union Classic All-Tournament Team back in September, Hartman earned AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention honors in 2024.

Hartman helped lead the Panthers to a 26-6 record overall, a 16-0 mark in MVC play and the program’s fourth consecutive MVC regular season and tournament titles, as well as a run to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

 

 

UNI’S AVCA ALL-AMERICANS

• 1999 – Shannon Perry (3rd Team)
• 2002 – Molly O’Brien (3rd Team)
• 2009 – Ellie Blankenship (Honorable Mention)
• 2009 – Bre Payton (Honorable Mention)
• 2010 – Bre Payton (2nd Team)
• 2010 – Ellie Blankenship (3rd Team)
• 2010 – Michelle Burrow (Honorable Mention)
• 2011 – Bre Payton (2nd Team)
• 2011 – Krista DeGeest (Honorable Mention)
• 2013 – Shelby Kintzel (Honorable Mention)
• 2017 – Heather Hook (Honorable Mention)
• 2017 – Karlie Taylor (Honorable Mention)
• 2017 – Piper Thomas (Honorable Mention)
• 2018 – Piper Thomas (Honorable Mention)
• 2019 – Karlie Taylor (Honorable Mention)
• 2024 – Kira Fallert (Honorable Mention)
• 2025 – Cassidy Hartman (Honorable Mention)

 

UNI volleyball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Volleyball), X (@UNIVolleyball) and on Instagram (@univolleyball). The full 2025 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida volleyball announced Wednesday that outside hitter Kamryn (Kami) Chaney, middle blocker Brianna (Bri) Holladay and outside hitter Selena Leban will join the Gators for the upcoming 2026 season.
 
Arriving for the spring 2026 semester, Holladay and Leban each bring one year of collegiate experience, while Chaney arrives with three.
 
“Selena and Bri are talented freshmen who offer both production and upside,” Florida Head Coach Ryan Theis said. “Kami gives us a proven point scorer and while we’ll add a few more pieces between now and August, we’re thrilled with this start.”
 
The trio joins incoming freshman opposite/outside hitter Nadi’ya Shelby as newcomers on Florida’s 2026 roster.
 
Details on Chaney, Holladay and Leban are below.
 
Kamryn (Kami) Chaney

• Position: Outside Hitter
• Class: Senior
• Height: 6-1
• Hometown: Park Forest, Illinois
• Previous Teams: Vanderbilt (2025), Princeton (2023-24)
• High School: Marist

At Vanderbilt
Honors:

• TSWA Volleyball Player of the Week – Sept. 23
• Recorded a double-double vs. UC Irvine (19 kills/11 digs)
• Black Student-Athlete Group Executive Board – Treasurer

2025 as a junior: Saw action in 17 matches and led the Commodores attack 12 times and behind the service line in eight matches… Finished with double-digit kills 12 times, including three with 20 or more… Season-best 22 kills against California (Sept. 10)… Matched career-best six aces against Western Kentucky (Sept. 16)… Led Vanderbilt in aces with 33 and totaled 218 kills, .182 hitting %, 94 digs,25 blocks and 264.5 points…Averaged 4.01 points per set, 3.30 kills per set, 0.50 aces per set, 1,42 digs per set and 0.38 blocks per set
 
At Princeton
Honors:

• Ivy League Player of the Year (2024)
• First Team All-Region (2024)
• First Team All-Ivy League (2024)
• Ivy League All-Tournament Team (2024)
• #9, Most Kills in A Season (421, 2024)
• Second Team All-Ivy League (2023)
• 4x Ivy League Player of the Week (Nov. 18 2024, Nov. 4 2024, Oct. 21 2024, Sept. 16 2024)
• Ivy League Rookie of the Week (Oct. 16, 2023)

2024 as a sophomore: Led the Ivy League and ranked 16th nationally in points-per-set (5.20) … led the Ivy league and ranked 24th nationally in kills-per-set (4.43) … led the Ivy League in points (494) and kills (421) … ranked second in the Ivy League in service aces (48) and service aces-per-set (0.42) … her season-high 34 kills that came on a .484 hitting percentage against High Point on Sept. 21 were the eighth-most kills recorded in a five set match by any player in the 2024 season … became the first Ivy League player Maddie Lord of Penn of Penn on Oct. 11, 2014, to have 34 kills in a match … recorded 12 double-doubles … exceeded 20 kills in eight matches … tallied 25 kills, a season-high 16 digs and a season-high seven blocks on Sept. 13 against St. John’s … recorded 25 kills on a .532 hitting percentage, 13 digs and two service aces against Yale on Nov. 1 … accumulated 24 kills on a .404 hitting percentage and four digs against Yale on Oct. 5 … had 24 kills, hit .358 and had four digs on Sept. 28 against Penn … contributed 23 kills on a .400 hitting percentage and 11 digs at Cornell on Oct. 19 … finished with 22 kills, 10 digs and three blocks at UMBC on Sept. 21 … compiled 20 kills on a .357 hitting percentage, 10 digs and four blocks on Nov. 16 at Harvard
 
2023 as a freshman: Led the Tigers and ranked second in the Ivy League in points per set (3.86) … led the Tigers and ranked fourth in the Ivy League kills per set (3.27) … led the Tigers and ranked 10th in the Ivy League in service aces per set (0.33) … tied the team-high and ranked 10th in the Ivy League in service aces (24) … appeared in 21 matches and 73 sets … recorded 42 digs and 32 blocks … had a season-high 25 kills on a .417 hitting percentage in the Tigers’ win over Dartmouth on Nov. 10 … recorded 17 kills, three digs and two service aces at Harvard on Oct. 6 … finished with 16 kills, five service aces and three digs in the Tigers’ win at Dartmouth on Oct. 7 … tallied 13 kills, a season-high six service aces, four digs and three blocks on Oct. 14 in Princeton’s win over Cornell … finished with 15 kills, four digs and three blocks at UMBC on Sept. 8 … had a season-high four blocks in the Tigers’ victory over Penn on Sept. 22 … had double digit kills in 13 matches
 
Why Chaney chose the University of Florida
“Florida checked all the boxes for me. They have the best combination of elite academics and high-level athletics which is super important for me. How could I say no to Gainesville and the opportunities Florida can bring? Go Gators!”
 

Career Stats
Year	S	MP	Kills	E	TA	Hit. Pct.	A	SA	SErr	D	BS	BA	TB	BErr	PTS
2023	73	21	239	126	650	0.174	2	24	34	47	6	26	32	2	282.0
2024	95	26	421	151	968	0.279	16	40	62	222	10	46	56	5	494.0
2025	66	17	218	113	578	0.182	6	33	67	94	2	23	25	3	264.5
Totals:	234	64	878	390	2,196	0.222	24	97	163	363	18	95	213	10	1,040.5

Brianna (Bri) Holladay

• Position: Middle Blocker
• Class: Sophomore
• Height: 6-3
• Hometown: Leesburg, Va. 
• Previous Teams: Virginia Tech
• High School: Riverside

At Virginia Tech
Honors:

• Earned All-Tournament Team honors at both the Blue Hen Invitational and the Seahawk Classic
• Named MVP of the Hokie Invitational

2025 as a freshman: In her rookie campaign, the Leesburg, Va., native appeared in 30 of Virginia Tech’s 31 matches, recording 108 blocks. She led the Hokies in blocks in 12 matches and posted five or more blocks 11 times during the season. Holladay added three double-digit kill performances and recorded her first career double-double with a career-high 13 kills and 10 blocks in Virginia Tech’s season finale against Syracuse on Nov. 28.
 
High School: Earned First Team All-State, All-Region and All-District selections in 2024… Named the 2024 State Player of the Year… Earned 2024 County Player of the Year honors and was named First Team All-Metropolitan… Earned Earned First Team All-State, All-Region and All-District selections in 2023… Named to the Second Team All-Metropolitan in 2023… Is an AP Scholar with Distinction… Earned the Academic Excellence Award four times.
 
Why Holladay chose the University of Florida
“I chose Florida Volleyball because the program represents a legacy of excellence that inspires every player to set a higher standard. I value the opportunity to represent Florida on the court and develop under the guidance of the new coaching staff. The passionate Gator fan base and strong support for student-athletes create an environment where I know I will be pushed to excel. Beyond athletics, the university’s strong academic reputation, particularly in engineering, will prepare me for a career after volleyball.”

Career Stats
Year	S	MP	Kills	E	TA	Hit. Pct.	A	SA	SErr	D	BS	BA	TB	BErr	PTS
2025	95	30	158	49	332	.328	5	7	12	20	10	98	108	12	224.0
Totals:	95	30	158	49	332	.328	5	7	12	20	10	98	108	12	224.0

 

Selena Leban

• Position: Outside Hitter
• Class: Sophomore
• Height: 6-0
• Hometown: Nova Gorica, Slovenia
• Previous Teams: Kansas
• High School: Gimnazija Šiška

At Kansas
2025 as a freshman: Appeared in 21 of the Jayhawks’ 35 matches, posting double-digit kills seven times and double-digit digs four times. Recorded back-to-back double-doubles, including a career-best 20 kills and 11 digs against then-No. 2 Penn State on Aug. 25, followed by 14 kills and 10 digs against then-No. 8 Wisconsin on Aug. 29.
 
High School: Competed for Slovenia on the national stage since 2019, beginning with the U16/U17 European Championship…. The European Golden League in 2024 was her 10th competition within the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV)… In 42 career CEV matches, Leban has recorded 289 kills, 52 service aces and 32 blocks…. Also competed in the 2020 and 2023 European Cups for her club.
 

Career Stats
Year	S	MP	Kills	E	TA	Hit. Pct.	A	SA	SErr	D	BS	BA	TB	BErr	PTS
2025	67	21	147	74	425	.172	11	15	32	126	1	28	29	5	177.0
Totals:	67	21	147	74	425	.172	11	15	32	126	1	28	29	5	177.0

 
 
 
 
 
 
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KANSAS CITY – Dan Fisher sat at the podium Wednesday afternoon inside the T-Mobile Center, fielding questions about roster turnover, the transfer portal and about how his Pitt volleyball program keeps reloading year after year. As the Panthers prepare to make their fifth consecutive appearance in the national semifinal on Thursday night against Texas A&M, Fisher reflected on the program he’s built.

Then came his answer, simple and profound in its honesty.

“I’m lucky to be at a volleyball school.”

Eight words that capture everything about what Fisher has built. Not a school with a volleyball program. A volleyball school.

The distinction matters.

With all the roster turnover experienced from 2024 to 2025, Fisher and his staff didn’t panic.

They pivoted. They recruited. They rebuilt.

And here they are at the Final Four again, with a roster that looks completely different from the one that took the floor a season ago in Louisville.

“We had to pivot pretty quickly,” Fisher said. “I’m just really proud of the work my staff did to get a team in place to be back here.”

But the work goes deeper than Xs and Os, deeper than recruiting rankings or transfer portal additions. Fisher has built something sustainable at Pitt, something that transcends any single player or season. He’s built a culture, and more importantly, a family.

More Than Volleyball

For Fisher, the consistency hasn’t come from chasing perfection, but from setting standards and trusting people to grow into them.

Olivia Babcock and Bre Kelley, both All-Americans and leaders on this Final Four roster, describe a program that demands excellence without suffocating it.

“We have a standard we want to hold ourselves to,” Babcock said. “But it’s not the end of the world if we don’t hit it right away. That takes pressure off and it lets us get better every day.”

Kelley echoed that balance, pointing to Fisher’s ability to coach individuals as much as athletes.

“He builds real relationships with us off the court,” she said. “So when things get hard, when he’s pushing you, you know it’s coming from a place of care. He believes you can reach that level.”

This year’s team has needed that flexibility more than most. With so many new faces, the Panthers had to build chemistry on the fly while maintaining championship-level play. The result? A dominant season that has ended up back at the Final Four.

“This is a very new team, but so many people have been here before,” Babcock said. “We were able to prepare the newer players coming into this experience, what to expect.”

 

Playing for Something Bigger

Standing on the precipice of another Final Four, both Babcock and Kelley emphasized something that matters more than wins and losses: they’re playing for each other.

“Every time I step on the court, it’s just to have fun with my friends,” Kelley said. “Obviously, it’s hard to not give in to the pressure of these moments, but you just kind of look at your six-foot world, which is just the people on the court.”

That “six-foot world” philosophy – focusing on the teammates beside you rather than the noise around you – has become a mantra for this group. It’s how they’ve dominated elite competition. It’s how they’ve stayed locked in through adversity. And it’s how they plan to approach tomorrow’s national semifinal match against Texas A&M.

“We just want to play volleyball,” Babcock said. “This game is supposed to be fun. It’s not supposed to be severely taxing on your mind and body. I just want to play ball with this team and play to the best ability that we can and have a blast on this court.”

The Evolution of a Powerhouse

Fisher ponders a question about when he felt his program had arrived.

The foundation took years to build, player development that used to span five-year arcs rather than single seasons. But somewhere around last year, he admits, the perception shifted.

“Probably last year, with us being ranked number one a lot, it shifted from us being looked at as this new kid to, ‘Oh yeah, Pitt’s number one,'” Fisher said. “That was the new shift.”

Maintaining that standard through roster turnover and the chaotic modern college landscape? That’s the real challenge.

“The hardest part is how much the college landscape has changed,” Fisher acknowledged. “People are going to schools for different reasons, recruiting’s changed. As a collegiate coach, you need to evolve and adapt and embrace it.”

But even with all the changes, one thing remains constant: Fisher’s commitment to his players beyond volleyball.

“The most rewarding part is always the relationships,” he said. “The best thing as a coach is to see somebody maybe become better or to do something they didn’t think they could do. To be part of that journey is the best part.”

A Volleyball School

Back to those eight words: “I’m lucky to be at a volleyball school.”

Fisher wasn’t bragging. He was expressing genuine gratitude for an administration that supports the program, for fans who pack Fitzgerald Field House and for a city that has embraced this team as its own.

“We have a newer athletic director (Allen Greene) that’s been incredibly supportive of us,” Fisher said. “I’m lucky to be at the school I’m at.”

As the Panthers prepare for their fifth straight national semifinal appearance, they carry with them the weight of looking for their first appearance in the national championship match and the lightness of a team that genuinely loves playing together. They carry Fisher’s standards without his expectations. They carry the knowledge that they’re playing for something bigger than themselves.

Most of all, they carry the confidence that comes from knowing their coach sees them, truly, as more than just volleyball players.

That’s what it means to be at a volleyball school. That’s what Dan Fisher has built at Pitt.

Five straight Final Fours. A new roster. The same standard. The same coach who feels lucky to be at a volleyball school that just keeps winning.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – James Madison junior outside hitter Kennedy Louisell was named an Honorable Mention All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) on Wednesday, Dec. 17.
 
Louisell’s selection marks the fourth for a JMU player in program history and first since Sophie Davis was also named an honorable mention selection following the 2023 season.
 
The outside hitter and 2025 Sun Belt Player of the Year joins Davis (2023), M’Kaela White (2018), and Janey Goodman (2016) as players to be honored by the AVCA. Louisell was the only Sun Belt player to be named an All-American.
 
Louisell finished the 2025 season with 605 kills, the most for a JMU player in the Division I era (1986-present). The outside hitter also set a record with her average of 4.80 kills per set, with her kill and kills per set marks both ranking among the nation’s best.
 
The native of Grand Rapids, Mich., had double-digit kills in all 31 matches, including 12 with 20 or more kills and two with 30 or more.
 
Against Georgia State on Oct. 4, Louisell finished with 37 kills, breaking the program single-match record which had stood for over 40 years. Three weeks later against Georgia Southern, she broke her own record, finishing with 38 kills and 20 digs in a five-set win over the Eagles.
 
She remains the only player in the sport with at least 35 kills and 20 digs in the same match this season.