St. Louis, Mo. - The American Midwest Conference (AMC) announced the 2023 AMC Women's Volleyball All-Conference Teams, Regular Season Awards Winners, Academic All-Conference Team, and Champions of Character Team. 

Among them, six players and one Coach from the Stars Volleyball team were recognized in the AMC All-Conference Awards. 

• First Team All-Conference: Genevieve Nickelson
  • Nickelson was the defensive line for the Stars as the libero, she tallied up 536 digs this season alone and currently holds the number one spot in the NAIA Conference Leading position of digs. 
• First Team All-Conference: Jamie Russell
  • Russell is a powerhouse in the front row with a consistent hitting percentage of .257, bringing in 243 kills in the 2023 season alone. She has also defended with 68 total blocks in the 2023 season. 
• Honorable Mention: Isabelle Benson
  • As an all-around player, Benson totaled in 214 kills this season alone, 37 service aces, and 333 digs. Benson also earned All-AMC Second Team Honors in 2021 as a freshman. 
  • Honorable Mention: Avery Hays
  • A setter from CMU, Hays racked up 460 assists in the 2023 season bringing in over 1,000 career assists of her time in collegiate volleyball. 
• Freshman of the Year/Second Team All-Conference: Lena Hunziker
  • For the first time, the Freshman of the Year goes to a player from Stephens, as Lena Hunziker won the award after accumulating 260 kills, a .128 attacking percentage, 255 digs, 29 blocks, and 301 total points. 
• Champions of Character: Tatum Frank 
  • As a defensive specialist, Frank was named AMC Champions of Character Team for her contribution to the NAIA Five Core Character Values of Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Sportsmanship, and Servant Leadership. 
• Assistant Coach of the Year:  Paola Ampudia-Mosquera
  • Coach Paola has coached for over 8 years and played for 7 years professionally overseas. She was named Big 12 Player of the Week 4x, Newcomer of the Year in 2009, AVCA 1st Team All-American, and more. Ampudia-Mosquera holds the record for kills in a match (35) at the University of Missouri. 

These awards are determined through a rigorous selection process involving coach nominations and adherence to specific criteria:

• All-Conference: Coaches nominate players, and choose the First-Team All-Conference, Player of the Year, Attacker of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Setter of the Year, by Zoom. The highest 10 vote-getters are named Second-Team All-Conference and the remaining players with at least one vote get named to the Honorable Mention Team.

The AMC has also released the list of student-athletes to earn Academic All-Conference recognition. To be eligible for Academic All-Conference honors, student-athletes must be in their second semester at their AMC institution, have at least a 3.0 GPA, and finish the year on the team. *fall sports freshmen are not eligible for the award in their first season.

Aiyanna Williams

Avery Hays

Genevieve Nickelson

Rylee Collins

Tatum Frank