Eastern Michigan Athletics
Volleyball’s Strefling Named to AVCA Midwest All-Region Team
4/13/2021 2:59:00 PM | Volleyball
The senior outside hitter is the fifth Eagle to earn the AVCA honor
LEXINGTON, Ky. (EMUEagles.com) – Eastern Michigan University volleyball senior Franki Strefling (Niles, Mich.-Buchanan) was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Midwest All-Region First Team, the organization announced Tuesday, April 13. Strefling is the fifth Eagle to earn the AVCA honor and the first EMU volleyball student-athlete to earn first team honors since Roxanne Munch made the All-North Central Region First Team in 1989.
"This is an incredible achievement for Franki and a wonderful acknowledgement for her performance this season," Head Coach Darcy Dorton said. "Franki continues to raise the bar, not just for herself, but her teammates and this program as well. With every milestone she has hit in her career, she is quick to set her sights on the next goal and rise to the next challenge. That mentality is what makes her so successful, as a player, as a leader, and as a person. I'm looking forward to seeing how she uses this recognition to drive her career to even greater heights."
The Niles, Mich. native joins former EMU players, Alyssa LaFace (2015-18), Camila Olaio (1998-99, 2001-02), Sherry Anderson (1987-90), and Munch (1986-89) who have received the AVCA accolade.
This season, Strefling ranked second in the conference in both points per set (4.44) and kills per set (4.09). The senior's 315 total kills led the Green and White and finished third in the league. Strefling also posted a 4.00 digs-per-set average, which was good for second on the team. The Niles, Mich. native tallied 13 10-plus kill performances with 13 double-doubles. Strefling also led the team in kills in 17 matches during the shortened season.
Strefling became the sixth EMU volleyball player to reach both 1,000 career kills and digs, and the first since Becky Baltare (2002-05). She reached the 1,000-plateau for digs first at Northern Illinois, Feb. 11, with 26, before tallying her 1,000th kill in the first set against Ohio, March 8. Additionally, the outside hitter notched a career-high 26 kills against Buffalo, Feb. 25, which tied for seventh in Convocation Center history.
Over her four years at EMU, Strefling has etched her name into the EMU record books. The outside hitter ranks eighth with 3,510 career attempts.
Eastern Michigan finished the 2021 spring season with an 8-12 overall record and posted a 3-2 victory over Ball State, March 27, to close out the season.
For more information on Eastern Michigan volleyball, follow the team's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/EMUVolleyball, on Facebook at Facebook.com/EMUVB, or on Instagram at Instagram.com/emu_volleyball.
ABOUT THE AVCA
The AVCA, with its headquarters in Lexington, Ky., is managed by Associations International. The mission of the AVCA is to develop and grow the sport of volleyball; with a membership of over 5,000 and counting, the AVCA provides a professional network for those individuals and companies dedicated to enhancing and developing the sport. Members are comprised of national and international coaches, collegiate, high school, club, youth and Olympic coaches, as well as club directors. Other members include former players, officials, media members and other friends of volleyball. As a group, the AVCA is committed to the development, growth, advancement and publicity of volleyball throughout the world. Further information is available at www.avca.org.
"This is an incredible achievement for Franki and a wonderful acknowledgement for her performance this season," Head Coach Darcy Dorton said. "Franki continues to raise the bar, not just for herself, but her teammates and this program as well. With every milestone she has hit in her career, she is quick to set her sights on the next goal and rise to the next challenge. That mentality is what makes her so successful, as a player, as a leader, and as a person. I'm looking forward to seeing how she uses this recognition to drive her career to even greater heights."
The Niles, Mich. native joins former EMU players, Alyssa LaFace (2015-18), Camila Olaio (1998-99, 2001-02), Sherry Anderson (1987-90), and Munch (1986-89) who have received the AVCA accolade.
This season, Strefling ranked second in the conference in both points per set (4.44) and kills per set (4.09). The senior's 315 total kills led the Green and White and finished third in the league. Strefling also posted a 4.00 digs-per-set average, which was good for second on the team. The Niles, Mich. native tallied 13 10-plus kill performances with 13 double-doubles. Strefling also led the team in kills in 17 matches during the shortened season.
Strefling became the sixth EMU volleyball player to reach both 1,000 career kills and digs, and the first since Becky Baltare (2002-05). She reached the 1,000-plateau for digs first at Northern Illinois, Feb. 11, with 26, before tallying her 1,000th kill in the first set against Ohio, March 8. Additionally, the outside hitter notched a career-high 26 kills against Buffalo, Feb. 25, which tied for seventh in Convocation Center history.
Over her four years at EMU, Strefling has etched her name into the EMU record books. The outside hitter ranks eighth with 3,510 career attempts.
Eastern Michigan finished the 2021 spring season with an 8-12 overall record and posted a 3-2 victory over Ball State, March 27, to close out the season.
For more information on Eastern Michigan volleyball, follow the team's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/EMUVolleyball, on Facebook at Facebook.com/EMUVB, or on Instagram at Instagram.com/emu_volleyball.
ABOUT THE AVCA
The AVCA, with its headquarters in Lexington, Ky., is managed by Associations International. The mission of the AVCA is to develop and grow the sport of volleyball; with a membership of over 5,000 and counting, the AVCA provides a professional network for those individuals and companies dedicated to enhancing and developing the sport. Members are comprised of national and international coaches, collegiate, high school, club, youth and Olympic coaches, as well as club directors. Other members include former players, officials, media members and other friends of volleyball. As a group, the AVCA is committed to the development, growth, advancement and publicity of volleyball throughout the world. Further information is available at www.avca.org.
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