all-CCAC women's volleyball release

A program-record four Fighting Bees were named to all-CCAC team as the conference announced its postseason women's volleyball awards today.

Jill Kavalauskas earned first-team honors for the third straight year. She was joined on the first team by Meredith Siebers. Mackenzie Grafton and Hannah Sondag earned second-team recognition.

The four helped power St. Ambrose to an NAIA National Tournament appearance and a runner-up finish in the CCAC. It marked the program's highest CCAC finish since St. Ambrose joined the league in 2015. The four all-CCAC selections are also a program-best, surpassing the three honorees from 2020.

Kavalauskas, an outside hitter from Chicago, Ill., has put together an outstanding senior campaign. She will enter Nationals needing just one kill to become the 10th Bee since 2000 to record 400 kills in a season. Her 399 kills currently rank her third in the CCAC, and she is hitting at a .228 clip. Kavalauskas has put down 1295 kills in her four-year SAU career. She has also picked up 236 digs, 44 aces and 42 total blocks this season.

Kavalauskas is the first three-time first-team all-conference selection since Tori Matzen earned the honors from the former Midwest Collegiate Conference from 2010-12.

Siebers, a second-team all-CCAC selection in 2020, was named to the first team after hitting .242, currently the fifth-best mark in the conference. The junior from Quincy, Ill., has totaled 213 kills across 25 matches in 2022, giving her 822 kills at St. Ambrose.

Grafton, a junior outside hitter from Orion, Ill., is second to Kavalauskas with 300 kills this season. She is hitting .200. Grafton also leads the team with 49 aces, the second-most in the conference. She is also second on the team with 238 digs.

Sondag, a senior setter from Webster Groves, Mo., is fifth in the CCAC with 754 assists. She surpassed 1000 career assists this season and currently sits at 1169. Sondag has also registered 208 digs and 40 aces.

St. Ambrose will visit No. 2 Jamestown (N.D.) Saturday at 3 p.m. in an NAIA Opening Round match. It is the first NAIA Championship bid for the Bees since the 2010 season.