COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M middle blocker Jazzmin Babers has been named AVCA Division I Second-Team All-America, the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced today. In addition, Aggie setter Stephanie Aiple (pronounced EYE-plee) and middle blocker Shelby Sullivan were both named AVCA Honorable Mention All-America for the second consecutive year.
Babers, a redshirt junior middle blocker from Syracuse, N.Y., who has started every match (92) of her career, hit .412 this season to break the all-time school season record of .400 set by former two-time AVCA All-American Sherri Brinkman in 1984 and tied by Babers last year. Babers, whose .412 hitting percentage currently ranks 15th in the nation, is 25th in the country with 1.37 blocks per set this season, and she will enter her senior year ranked sixth in the A&M career records with 381 block assists eighth in career blocks with 434.
A 2015 All-SEC Team selection, Babers led the Southeastern Conference with a .441 hitting percentage in league matches only and also ranked second in the SEC with 1.46 blocks per set as the Aggies went 16-2 in SEC play and captured their first-ever conference championship.
"Jazzmin performs at a high level match-in and match-out, and it is the consistency that stands her apart," said Texas A&M head coach and 2015 AVCA South Region Coach of the Year Laurie Corbelli. "Many middles will have a night that is 'All-American worthy' but she does it just about every night. So that reliability is really important, a huge ingredient to her success and the team's as well.
"Jazzmin certainly was a go-to player for us this season. She is very low-error, and teams have to figure out a way to slow her down. I don't think they think they can stop her, but they need to find a way to slow her down, and that was challenging for opponents to do this season."
Babers, who earned AVCA Honorable Mention All-America distinction in 2014, becomes the eighth player in Texas A&M history to be selected to an AVCA All-America team and the first Aggie since outside hitter Sarah Ammerman was named to the third team in 2009. Overall, A&M has received 12 first-, second- or third-team AVCA All-America citations in the 35 years the organization has been recognizing All-America teams.
A&M also has earned a total of 12 AVCA Honorable Mention All-America certificates, with Aiple and Sullivan joining former A&M standouts Lindsey Miller and Allie Sawatzky as the school's only two-time honorees.
Aiple, a sophomore from Round Rock, Texas, who last year became the first freshman in Texas A&M history to merit AVCA Honorable Mention All-America, was the 2015 SEC Player of the Year after directing A&M to the conference title. With Babers and Sullivan as two of her primary attackers, Aiple averaged 11.44 assists per set, which currently ranks 14th in the nation. She also orchestrated an A&M offense that ranks 18th in the country with a .272 hitting percentage, the second highest hitting percentage in program history.
Aiple, a two-time SEC Player of the Week and a six-time SEC Setter of the Week, tallied 50 or more assists in eight matches this season. She recorded a career-high 62 assists in the win at Missouri, including 14 assists in the decisive 15-10 fifth-set victory, to clinch the SEC championship.
Sullivan, who was named to the All-SEC team for a third consecutive year, hit .377 for the year and completed her stellar career with a school-record .379 hitting percentage, smashing the longstanding career record of .342 held by Brinkman since 1985. Sullivan, a senior from Richardson, Texas, averaged 2.38 kills, 0.94 blocks and 3.09 points per set for the full season and hit .392 with 2.55 kills, 1.12 blocks and 3.42 points per set in SEC matches only.
The team co-captain collected both SEC defensive and offensive player of the week honors this season, and she also was a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award, recognizing notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom character and competition.
Texas A&M finished the season 24-7 after reaching the second round of the NCAA Championship. It marked the fourth time in five years and the 16th time under Corbelli that the Aggies reached the 20-win milestone. In addition, it was A&M's fifth consecutive NCAA appearance and 19th overall under Corbelli, making A&M one of only 13 teams in the nation that has made at least 19 NCAA tournament appearances since she was hired in 1993.
The first, second and third AVCA All-America Teams each are comprised of 14 athletes. This marks the first year all players representing the Honorable Mention All-Americans were selected by the selection committee (previously, players who made All-Region were automatically honorable mention if they didn't make one of the three teams).
The selections were made by the AVCA Division I All-America Committee: Chair: Sherry Dunbar, Indiana University; South Region: Karen Weatherington, UNC Charlotte; East Region: Alma Kovaci, Army; East Coast Region: Dennis Hohenshelt, Virginia; Midwest Region: Melissa Stokes, Missouri State; North Region: Cathy George, Michigan State; Northeast Region: Ryan Baker, Colgate; Pacific North Region: Shawn Garus, Boise State; Pacific South Region: Liz Kritza, Colorado; Southeast Region: Scott Swanson, South Carolina; Southwest Region: Jill Kramer, TCU.
For the complete list of 2015 AVCA All-Americans, go to AVCA.org.
Texas A&M All-Time AVCA All-Americans:
First Team
Amber Woolsey........... 1999
Jenna Moscovic............ 2001
Laura Jones................... 2005
Second Team
Sherri Brinkman..... 1984, '85
Stacy Sykora........... 1997, '98
Melissa Munsch........... 2003
Laura Jones................... 2004
Jazzmin Babers............. 2015
Third Team
Melissa Munsch........... 2004
Sarah Ammerman........ 2009
Honorable Mention
Jennifer Banse.............. 2009
Kelsey Black.................. 2011
Lindsey Miller......... 2011, '12
Alisia Kastmo................ 2012
Allie Sawatzky........ 2012, '13
Stephanie Aiple.... 2014, '15
Jazzmin Babers............. 2014
Shelby Sullivan...... 2014, '15
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M volleyball team on Facebook and on Twitter and Instagram by following @AggieVolleyball.
Babers, a redshirt junior middle blocker from Syracuse, N.Y., who has started every match (92) of her career, hit .412 this season to break the all-time school season record of .400 set by former two-time AVCA All-American Sherri Brinkman in 1984 and tied by Babers last year. Babers, whose .412 hitting percentage currently ranks 15th in the nation, is 25th in the country with 1.37 blocks per set this season, and she will enter her senior year ranked sixth in the A&M career records with 381 block assists eighth in career blocks with 434.
A 2015 All-SEC Team selection, Babers led the Southeastern Conference with a .441 hitting percentage in league matches only and also ranked second in the SEC with 1.46 blocks per set as the Aggies went 16-2 in SEC play and captured their first-ever conference championship.
"Jazzmin performs at a high level match-in and match-out, and it is the consistency that stands her apart," said Texas A&M head coach and 2015 AVCA South Region Coach of the Year Laurie Corbelli. "Many middles will have a night that is 'All-American worthy' but she does it just about every night. So that reliability is really important, a huge ingredient to her success and the team's as well.
"Jazzmin certainly was a go-to player for us this season. She is very low-error, and teams have to figure out a way to slow her down. I don't think they think they can stop her, but they need to find a way to slow her down, and that was challenging for opponents to do this season."
Babers, who earned AVCA Honorable Mention All-America distinction in 2014, becomes the eighth player in Texas A&M history to be selected to an AVCA All-America team and the first Aggie since outside hitter Sarah Ammerman was named to the third team in 2009. Overall, A&M has received 12 first-, second- or third-team AVCA All-America citations in the 35 years the organization has been recognizing All-America teams.
A&M also has earned a total of 12 AVCA Honorable Mention All-America certificates, with Aiple and Sullivan joining former A&M standouts Lindsey Miller and Allie Sawatzky as the school's only two-time honorees.
Aiple, a sophomore from Round Rock, Texas, who last year became the first freshman in Texas A&M history to merit AVCA Honorable Mention All-America, was the 2015 SEC Player of the Year after directing A&M to the conference title. With Babers and Sullivan as two of her primary attackers, Aiple averaged 11.44 assists per set, which currently ranks 14th in the nation. She also orchestrated an A&M offense that ranks 18th in the country with a .272 hitting percentage, the second highest hitting percentage in program history.
Aiple, a two-time SEC Player of the Week and a six-time SEC Setter of the Week, tallied 50 or more assists in eight matches this season. She recorded a career-high 62 assists in the win at Missouri, including 14 assists in the decisive 15-10 fifth-set victory, to clinch the SEC championship.
Sullivan, who was named to the All-SEC team for a third consecutive year, hit .377 for the year and completed her stellar career with a school-record .379 hitting percentage, smashing the longstanding career record of .342 held by Brinkman since 1985. Sullivan, a senior from Richardson, Texas, averaged 2.38 kills, 0.94 blocks and 3.09 points per set for the full season and hit .392 with 2.55 kills, 1.12 blocks and 3.42 points per set in SEC matches only.
The team co-captain collected both SEC defensive and offensive player of the week honors this season, and she also was a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award, recognizing notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom character and competition.
Texas A&M finished the season 24-7 after reaching the second round of the NCAA Championship. It marked the fourth time in five years and the 16th time under Corbelli that the Aggies reached the 20-win milestone. In addition, it was A&M's fifth consecutive NCAA appearance and 19th overall under Corbelli, making A&M one of only 13 teams in the nation that has made at least 19 NCAA tournament appearances since she was hired in 1993.
The first, second and third AVCA All-America Teams each are comprised of 14 athletes. This marks the first year all players representing the Honorable Mention All-Americans were selected by the selection committee (previously, players who made All-Region were automatically honorable mention if they didn't make one of the three teams).
The selections were made by the AVCA Division I All-America Committee: Chair: Sherry Dunbar, Indiana University; South Region: Karen Weatherington, UNC Charlotte; East Region: Alma Kovaci, Army; East Coast Region: Dennis Hohenshelt, Virginia; Midwest Region: Melissa Stokes, Missouri State; North Region: Cathy George, Michigan State; Northeast Region: Ryan Baker, Colgate; Pacific North Region: Shawn Garus, Boise State; Pacific South Region: Liz Kritza, Colorado; Southeast Region: Scott Swanson, South Carolina; Southwest Region: Jill Kramer, TCU.
For the complete list of 2015 AVCA All-Americans, go to AVCA.org.
Texas A&M All-Time AVCA All-Americans:
First Team
Amber Woolsey........... 1999
Jenna Moscovic............ 2001
Laura Jones................... 2005
Second Team
Sherri Brinkman..... 1984, '85
Stacy Sykora........... 1997, '98
Melissa Munsch........... 2003
Laura Jones................... 2004
Jazzmin Babers............. 2015
Third Team
Melissa Munsch........... 2004
Sarah Ammerman........ 2009
Honorable Mention
Jennifer Banse.............. 2009
Kelsey Black.................. 2011
Lindsey Miller......... 2011, '12
Alisia Kastmo................ 2012
Allie Sawatzky........ 2012, '13
Stephanie Aiple.... 2014, '15
Jazzmin Babers............. 2014
Shelby Sullivan...... 2014, '15
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M volleyball team on Facebook and on Twitter and Instagram by following @AggieVolleyball.