Courtesy of Midland Athletics
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) both announced the 2021 NAIA Women’s Volleyball All-American Teams on Thursday. Midland University had two players earn honors with Hope Leimbach and Taliyah Flores named to the first- and third-teams.
Leimbach, a junior from Lincoln, Nebraska, was named to the First Team following a stellar season at the setter position. She ranked second in the NAIA in assists per game (12.00) and fifth in total assists (1,344). Under her leadership, the Midland attack hit .235, good for the 20th best in the NAIA. Defensively, she averaged nearly three digs (2.44) and had 39 total blocks. She was an honorable mention selection in 2020.
Flores, a senior from Papillion, Nebraska, earned her second NAIA All-America award after a stellar season as one of the best six-rotation players in the country. She hit .264 for the season with 439 kills. She had the 18th best kill average (3.92) in the NAIA and had the 19th most total kills (439). Defensively, the former libero averaged over three digs per game (3.09), the second-best on the team.
“I’m really happy for Taliyah and Hope,” said head coach Paul Giesselmann. “Both of them have really elevated their play since arriving at Midland. They are great teammates and extremely competitive making everyone around them better.”
The Warriors finished the season with a 25-6 record and reached the NAIA National Tournament final site for the eighth time in nine seasons under Coach Giesselmann. They had 10 wins over ranked teams, including both teams in the championship match. Midland spend the majority of the season ranked in the Top 10, including a rotation as the No. 1 team. They were ranked 12th in the NAIA Coaches’ Postseason Poll.
A complete look at the 2021 NAIA Women’s Volleyball All-America Teams can be found here and the AVCA award list can be found here.
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