LEXINGTON, KY. --- The American Volleyball Coaches Association released their NCAA Division III Volleyball All-Region selections on Wednesday. Senior Libero
Halle Hetzler was selected as First Team All-Region in Region 10 for the second time in her already stellar career.
Holding the second-best Digs Per Set average in the country, Hetzler was recently named the Northwest Conference Libero of the Year for the third time in five seasons. The lockdown Libero's resume includes: 20+ Northwest Conference Weekly Honors, three-time NWC Libero of the Year, 2022 NWC Player of the Year, 2019 NWC Freshman of the year, and three-straight NWC First Team All-Conference honors. Hetzler is the all-time Digs leader in Pacific Lutheran history, with 2,606 and counting; 860 more than the next best. Hetzler is in line to also set the PLU record in Digs Per Set average with 6.06; the next highest is 4.76. With 674 gigs in the 2023 season, she broke the single-season digs record last weekend in the Northwest Conference Volleyball Tournament.
As a team, the Lutes went a perfect 16-0 in conference play, while sweeping the first-ever Northwest Conference Volleyball tournament with a 3-0 sweep over Willamette and a 3-1 win over George Fox. The Lutes earned five total All-Conference awards this week as Head Coach
Kevin Aoki was name the Northwest Conference Coach of the Year for the 11th time in his career.
The Lutes take a 18-match win streak into the NCAA Division III National Tournament where they will look to tie the Lutes record for wins in a row with 19. The Lutes are set to face Carnegie Mellon tomorrow in Holland, Michigan, at 2 p.m. eastern time. Hosting the Lutes and seven other schools in the first three rounds of the tournament is Hope College.
To follow the Lutes in postseason play, and all other PLU Athletics news, please consider following us on Instagram and X.com at @GoLutes, and on Facebook, PLU Athletics.
