Kavalauskas earns first team all-CCAC honors, Pierce on second team
Jill Kavalauskas was named to the all-CCAC women's volleyball first team and Maicee Pierce was selected to the second team as the conference announced its postseason awards.
Kavalauskas, who last year became the first St. Ambrose women's volleyball player named to the all-CCAC first team since the University joined the conference in 2015, is the first Bee to earn first team all-conference honors twice since Maddie McElroy accomplished the feat in 2013 and 2014 when SAU was part of the old Midwest Collegiate Conference.
Kavalauskas, a senior outside hitter, led St. Ambrose with 393 kills this season, currently the 33rd-highest total in the NAIA and fifth-best in the conference. She had 23 matches with at least 10 kills, including the final eight matches of the season. She put down 20 or more kills twice, including a season-best 22-kill performance against Clarke on Oct. 23.
The Chicago native was named the CCAC Attacker of the Week on Nov. 2 after collecting 19 kills in a 3-0 win over Trinity International and 17 kills in a 3-1 win over Trinity Christian.
Her 896 career kills are good for 12th all-time in school history.
Kavalauskas also led St. Ambrose with 38 aces and finished third with 231 digs this season.
Pierce, a senior defensive specialist, led the Bees with 454 digs, an average of 4.17 per set. Her total is the fourth-highest mark in the CCAC. She was credited with double-digit digs in 25 of the 30 matches she played. Pierce, from Epworth, Iowa, had a season-best 25 digs against Olivet Nazarene on Oct. 19. It was the first of three straight matches with 20-or-more digs for Pierce.
St. Ambrose finished the season 19-12 overall.