Sybeldon And Strickland Named All-Americans
December 16, 2015 | Volleyball
SEATTLE – One of just two First Team All-Americans out of the Pac-12, Husky senior Lianna Sybeldon earned one of the sport's highest honors, as the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced the All-America teams today. Fellow senior Cassie Strickland was tabbed an honorable mention All-American for the first time in her career as well.
Sybeldon, a Third Team All-American a season ago, becomes the 10th Husky to earn First Team AVCA All-America status, and the first middle blocker since Makare Desilets in 1997 to make the First Team. The only other Pac-12 player on the First Team was USC's Samantha Bricio.
Sybeldon also became the first Husky middle blocker to lead the team in kills since Lisa Underhill in 2000, as her 302 kills led a balanced Washington offense. She is the third player in Pac-12 history to finish a season with an attack percentage of at least .450, as she finished right at that mark. Also dominant as a blocker, Sybeldon finished second in the Pac-12 with 1.37 blocks per set, and became just the third Husky with over 500 career blocks, finishing with 543, third all-time and first in the rally scoring era.
Strickland earned All-America honorable mention for the first time, to go with her All-Pacific North Region and All-Pac-12 Team selections. The new career sets played leader at Washington, Strickland's defense helped hold UW opponents to a .153 attack percentage, best among major conference teams and sixth in the NCAA. In her second season as libero, she upped her digs per set to 4.20 from 3.96 as a junior. Strickland's serving and passing helped UW have nearly double the number of aces of their opponents, serving up 165 and allowing just 84. Strickland was fifth in the Pac-12 with 0.30 aces per set, and finished second in school history with 152 career aces. She also wound up fourth at UW with 1,544 career digs.
Strickland is the fourth Husky libero to earn All-America honors, along with Candace Lee (2004 – HM; 2005 – 2nd), Tamari Miyashiro (2007 – HM; 2008 – 2nd; 2009 – 2nd), and Jenna Orlandini (2013 – HM).
Sybeldon and Strickland were two of six seniors that leave UW with the most wins of any class in school history, as the group combined to go 117-16 over four years. The Huskies were 31-3 this season, reaching the Elite Eight and winning a share of the Pac-12 title.
