Wingate’s Stormi Gale Named To AVCA All-America Team

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The awards and recognitions continue to pile up for Wingate University junior middle blocker Stormi Gale (Richmond, Texas). The 2009 South Atlantic Conference and Southeast Region Player of the Year has been named to the AVCA All-America third team, officials announced Monday. An honorable mention All-American in 2008, Gale is only the second player in SAC history to be named to an All-American team. In addition, Bulldog junior outside hitter Lauren Billo (Orland Park, Ill.) and sophomore libero Maggie Malone (Chicago, Ill.) earn honorable mention honors.

Gale led the SAC with 3.81 kills per set and ranked second with a .298 hitting percentage. She is a three-time first team All-SAC selection. She has twice been named to the All-Region team, while earning All-SAC Tournament honors three times. The 2008 Food Lion SAC Tournament MVP, Gale has earned All-Southeast Region tournament honors two consecutive seasons.

Gale's 476 kills in the 2009 season rank second on Wingate's all-time single-season charts, while her 1,205 career kills puts her third on the all-time list. Gale had at least 10 kills 26 times in Wingate's 38 matches, while notching 10 double-doubles on the year. She led the Bulldogs with 94 blocks on the season, while also collecting 43 aces. Gale had at least nine kills in Wingate's last 15 matches.

Stormi Gale

Lauren Billo

Maggie Malone

"Stormi has become a player that coaches all across the country are now noticing, due to her unique talents and for being the top player in leading Wingate to our first-ever national ranking," head coach Shelton Collier says. "All-Americans are exclusively selected from teams with national credentials. Stormi has been an exceptional player for three years. With our unprecedented team success this season, she was in a position to gain more national notoriety and be in a position to receive such a prestigious honor. This puts her in the top 42 players in the country, which is very special notoriety."

Billo and Malone earn honorable mention All-American honors, becoming the third and fourth players in Wingate history to earn the recognition. In addition to Gale, 2007 graduate and current assistant coach Melissa DeLuca was the first to earn honorable mention accolades during her senior season.

Billo led the South Atlantic Conference with a .317 hitting percentage, while ranking second in the league with 3.52 kills per set. A two-time All-SAC selection, Billo earned All-Region honors in 2009. She was also named to the All-SAC Tournament team this season, helping lead the Bulldogs to their fourth consecutive SAC title.

Billo notched double-digit kills in 26 matches for the Bulldogs, while hitting .300 or better 22 times. She had 21 kills and a .486 hitting percentage in the 3-0 win over Limestone. She collected 17 kills in the 3-2 win over Flagler, while notching 14 kills and a .387 hitting percentage in the sweep over Catawba.

"Lauren's excellent hitting percentage along with her high kills per set allowed her to be considered along with some of the other top hitters in the country," Collier notes. "Outside hitters are judged and ranked primarily on these factors, so Lauren earned her way to this consideration with her consistent impact on our offense and the fact that she led us to so many wins."

Malone piled up a school record 633 digs in the 2009 season, earning All-SAC and All-Region accolades for the second consecutive season. Malone was named the 2009 Food Lion SAC tournament MVP, while also earning All-Southeast Region Tournament honors. She has collected 1,074 digs in her two-year career, while her 4.49 career digs per set are tops in Wingate history.

Malone collected double-digit digs 32 times on the season, including Wingate's last 28 matches. Malone also led the team with 51 aces on the year. She had 34 digs in the 3-2 win over Flagler. She collected a school-record 41 digs in the 3-2 win at Lincoln Memorial. Malone also set a school record for digs in a three-set match with 30 against Newberry.

"At the libero position, Maggie (Malone) was one of the key reasons we were nationally ranked and maintained the number one rank in the region all year," Collier says. "Liberos are evaluated on a number of factors: defense, serve reception, serving, leadership and team success. It is rewarding for us to have an influential, motivating player like Maggie receive additional postseason recognition. Being named MVP of the SAC tournament and being voted to the Region All-Tournament team were great for her. This is yet another great award (for Maggie)."

The Bulldogs topped the 30-win mark for the third consecutive year, collecting a school-best 36 victories while going 36-2 overall. Wingate also became the first team in South Atlantic Conference history to earn an AVCA Top 25 ranking, finishing the season ranked 24th.

Wingate was the top team in the Southeast Region all year, hosting the Southeast Regional Tournament for the second consecutive season. The Bulldogs have won 100 of their last 106 matches dating back to the start of the 2007 season, while also winning 79 of their last 81 regular season matches. Wingate has won 46 consecutive SAC contests, while winning the regular season and SAC Tournament title four years in a row.

2009 AVCA Division II First-Team All-America

Pamela Cartagena, Pittsburg State University, OH
Jane Chafeh, California State Univ., San Bernardino, OH
Elaine Chen, University of California, San Diego, S
Sara Hoffman, California State Univ., San Bernardino, S
Maggie McNamara, Concordia University-St. Paul, S
Cheneta Morrison, University of Indianapolis, S
Alyssa Nelson, University of Minnesota-Duluth, MB
Emily Palkert, Concordia University-St. Paul, MB
Laura Prinsen, West Texas A&M University, RS/Opp.
Sylvia Schmidt, University of California, San Diego, OH
Nikki Scott, University of Nebraska Kearney, MB
Meghan Sherman, University of Tampa, S
Mary Slinger, Concordia University-St. Paul, DS/Lib.
Melissa Vanderhall, University of Tampa, OH

2009 AVCA Division II Second-Team All-America

Emily Calderon-Reyes, Saint Leo University, OH
Megan Carlson, Concordia University-St. Paul, OH
Kaleigh Cunningham, University of Tampa, OH
Melissa Harper, West Texas A&M University, MB
Jennifer Hefner, Wayne State College (Neb.), MB
Sadie Kessler, Concordia University-St. Paul, RS/Opp.
Kaitlin McKenna, Saint Leo University, MB
Samantha Middleborn, California State Univ., San Bernardino, MB
Caitlin Pankratz, University of Central Missouri, S
Katie Rickwartz, West Texas A&M University, S
Stephanie Sagat, Lewis University, OH
Arica Shepard, Emporia State University, OH
Makenzie Snyder, California State University, Chico, OH
Ellen Thommes, University of Nebraska at Omaha, MB

2009 AVCA Division II Third-Team All-America

Lydee Benoit, Eckerd College, OH
Devon Crotteau, Montana State University Billings, OH
Ashlee Crowder, Hillsdale College, OH
Renata da Silva, California University of Pennsylvania, S
Devin Diedrich, Southwest Minnesota State University, MB
Stormi Gale, Wingate University, MB
Patricia Gandolfo, University of West Florida, MB
Kate Hampson, Washburn University, S
Alison Jacobs, University of North Alabama, S
Bri Morley, Metropolitan State College of Denver, OH
Michelle Nogueras, Saint Leo University, S
Keala Peterson, Sonoma State University, OH
Maja Potpara, Dowling College, S
Kyleigh Turner, University of Indianapolis, DS/Lib.

2009 AVCA Division II Freshman of the Year: Megan Sharpe, Truman State University, MB

2009 AVCA Division II Honorable Mention All-America

Katie Beale, Flagler, OH
Amanda Beekman, Minnesota State, OH
Lauren Billo, Wingate, OH
Julia Borecka, Florida Southern, RS/Opp.
Roxanne Brunsting, UC San Diego, DS/Lib.
Lyndsay Callahan, Indianapolis, OH
Gabe Curtis, Metro State, S
Rachel Fister, Central Missouri, DS/Lib.
Xuan Gao, Lock Haven, OH
Kait Harris, Saginaw Valley State, S
Allie Huffman, Central Missouri, OH, So.)
Eleena Iisakka (Minnesota-Duluth, S, So.)
Whitney Justice (Lees-McRae, MB, Jr.)
Taylor Krenwinkle (Sonoma State, DS/Lib., So.)
Mollie Lacey (Washburn, MB, So.)
Clara Leutheuser (Hillsdale, MB, So.)
Maggie Malone (Wingate, DS/Lib., So.)
Sara Mamalov (New Haven, OH, Jr.)
Terry Masava (Bridgeport, OH, Jr.)
Joanna Nist (California [Pa.], OH, Sr.)
Carly Perschnick (Nova Southeastern, MB, Fr.)
Valia Petrova (Nova Southeastern, S, Sr.)
Rebeccah Rapin (Grand Valley State, MB, Jr.)
Lacy Redwine (Lynn, DS/Lib., Jr.)
Sarah Roberts (North Alabama, MB, Jr.)
Rachel Ruedi (Lewis, S, Jr.)
Calli Scott (Alaska-Anchorage, S, Sr.)
Fabiane Seben (Hawai'i-Hilo, MB, Sr.)
Megan Sharpe (Truman State, MB, Fr.)
Brittany Stamer (Minnesota State, S, So.)
Corrine Stringer (Pittsburg State, OH, So.)
Katie Swenson (Hawai'i-Hilo, S, Jr.)
Brandie Vea (Central Washington, DS/Lib., Jr.)