19th Ranked Flyers Have Four Players Named AVCA All-Americans

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Lewis University’s 19th ranked women’s volleyball team had four players named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America team on Tuesday (Dec. 7). Fifth-year senior libero Jamie Poppen (Ballwin, Mo./Parkway West) was named Third Team All-America while fifth-year senior middle hitter Ava Venema (Westmont, Ill./Timothy Christian), junior opposite hitter Juliana Van Loo (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) and sophomore setter Lauren Stenman (Maplewood, Minn./North St. Paul) were honorable mention selections.

Poppen, a First Team All-GLVC selection and the GLVC’s Libero of the Year, picks up her first All-America honor. She led the team and GLVC in digs per set with 6.46 and recorded 775 digs. Poppen set Lewis’ career record for digs with a career-high 50 digs last Thursday against Missouri-St. Louis in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. She is currently ranked third in Division II in total digs and sixth in digs per set. Poppen was voted the Baden GLVC Defensive Player of the Week on four instances this fall, earning the honor on Sept. 6, Sept. 27, Oct. 18 and Nov. 8, to finish with eight in her career. She was also named to the Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association (D2CCA) All-America Second Team on Wednesday (Dec. 8).

Venema, a First Team All-GLVC selection, earns her second AVCA All-America honors as she was a third team selection in 2019. She led the Flyers in hitting percentage at a .357 clip and in kills per set with 3.29. Venema is second in the conference in hitting percentage and fourth in kills. She had a season-high 18 kills in the four-set win over Indianapolis on Oct. 23 and had a career-high 11 blocks in the five-set come from behind win against Illinois Springfield on Oct. 5. Venema is also second on the team with her 0.97 blocks per set and leads the team in points scored with 3.96 per set.

Stenman, a First Team All-GLVC selection, earns her first All-America accolade after an outstanding sophomore season. She leads the GLVC in total assists (1,291) and assists per set at 11.23. Stenman ranks sixth in Division II in total assists and is eighth in assists per…