The Otterbein women’s volleyball players Ally Nagle and Lindsey Russell have become the first Cardinal volleyball players to achieve a place on the All-American team in program history.
“I think it was just almost a release for me as a coach and also for the program. It was a long time coming and the fact that we never had All-Americans made it a little bit more special,” head volleyball coach Monica McDonald said.
Selected by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), the two have led the conference and the team in multiple categories.
“With all of our success, whether it be team or individual, they put a lot of time and effort, and both Lindsey and Ally put in so much to the program so I am extremely happy for them,” McDonald said.
Ally Nagle, a junior middle hitter, who earned a spot on this year’s First Team All-OAC was selected for leading the conference for the third year in a row with a .401 hitting percentage, which also placed her in the top-10 nationally in that category, according to NCAA statistics. She also led the team in kills, averaging 2.91 kills per game.
“I was definitely surprised and excited. It is such an honor to be recognized as an All-American,” Nagle said.
Nagle’s other accolades include two-time First Team All-OAC honors during her sophomore and junior year, two-time OAC Player of the Week and Freshman of the Year in 2009.
“It wouldn’t have been possible without the talent of my teammates. It’s nice to know that all my hard work over the years is being acknowledged. I am very grateful,” Nagle said.
Russell, a senior libero, made a personal achievement by breaking every dig record held by the program with 6.7 digs per set, 44 in a match, 774 in a season and 2,428 total digs in her four-year career at Otterbein. These achievements landed her the fourth-ranked spot on the OAC all-time list in digs.
“It feels great,” Russell said. “I have set a lot of goals over the years and I have been lucky enough to accomplish most of them. This wasn’t an award I was expecting so it was an amazing surprise.”
Like Nagle, Russell also gained first team All-Conference honors for a second consecutive season, ranking her 28th nationally with 575 digs in the 2011 season. She has also achieved academically, earning Academic All-OAC and Academic All-District during her junior year.
This season, the two helped lead the Cardinals to a 26-6 overall record, including a 15-game winning streak that led them to receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row before falling to Hope College in their first game.
Wittenberg University, who won the NCAA DIII National Championship, was upset by Otterbein in five matches on Oct. 1.
“It means a lot and we put ourselves on the map,” McDonald said.
