Dec. 8, 2015
CHICAGO -- UIC senior Stephenee Yancy has added another accolade to a growing list as she was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-North Region team, the association announced Tuesday. This is the first time that the Aroma Park, Ill., native has been named to the All-Region squad.
"Stephenee was a transformational player in our program," said UIC head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley. "She showed a tremendous ability to take over matches with her unmatched talent on nightly basis and she helped to elevate the expectations for everyone on the team. As one of our captains, she was a leader on and off the floor. I know I speak for everyone when I say that we will miss everything that she contributed to the UIC volleyball family over the last two-and-a-half years."
Yancy was named the Horizon League Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season after leading the conference in both kills per set (4.69) and attacking percentage (.371). In 16 matches against league foes, Yancy was even better. She registered 5.12 kills per set at a clip of .375 in those contests.
The middle hitter also ranked among the nation's leaders in several statistical categories. Yancy finished eighth nationally in kills per set and ninth in points per set (5.21). She ranked ninth in the NCAA with 544 total kills and 10th with 604 points.
The senior posted at least 10 kills in 27 of 31 matches during her final season and she terminated at least 20 balls on 12 occasions. Yancy tallied a career-high 33 kills on Nov. 6 at Milwaukee, giving her the highest total for any Horizon League player this season.
Yancy is the lone Horizon League player to be named to an AVCA All-Region team. Two Cleveland State players – Alexis Middlebrooks and Christina Toth – garnered All-Northeast Region honorable mention. Chuck Voss was also named the AVCA Northeast Region Coach of the Year.
Yancy concluded her two-year UIC career as one of the program's most prolific players. She finished with 1,056 kills and a hitting percentage of .365, which is the best mark in program history. She also ended her stint on Chicago's Near West Side with 206 blocks.
The 2015 AVCA All-America Teams, for which Yancy is now eligible, will be announced on Dec. 16.
2015 AVCA All-North Region Team:
Abby Cole (Michigan)
Mikaela Foecke (Nebraska)
Kaitlyn Hickey (IUPUI)
Kelly Hunter (Nebraska)
Jaelyn Keene (Illinois State)
Taylor Pippen (Southern Illinois)
Kadie Rolfzen (Nebraska)
Amber Rolfzen (Nebraska)
Daly Santana (Minnesota)
Samantha Seliger-Swenson (Minnesota)
Hannah Tapp (Minnesota)
Paige Tapp (Minnesota)
Justine Wong-Orantes (Nebraska)
Stephenee Yancy (UIC)
Honorable Mention:
Adreene Elliott (Maryland)
Andrea Estrada (Southern Illinois)
Alyssah Fitterer (Michigan State)
Chloe Reinig (Michigan State)
Ashley Rosch (Illinois State)
Taylor Tashima (Northwestern)
The complete list of AVCA All-Region honorees can be found on the AVCA web site.
