All-Americans!
December 13th, 2006
University of Florida junior Angie McGinnis became the first two-time All-American setter in school history when she was honored as a first-team American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American, while junior opposite hitter Amber McCray was a second-team selection as announced on Wednesday.
For the sixth consecutive season, Florida had at least two players earn AVCA All-America distinction and it marked the 10th time in Mary Wise's 16 seasons as head coach that the Gators had at least a pair of AVCA All-Americans. Florida now boasts 18 different players who have combined to earn 39 All-America honors in school history.
Florida, which capped its 2006 season with a 30-3 record, a 16th consecutive Southeastern Conference title and the school's 15th NCAA Regional Semifinal appearance, was one of only six teams to have at least two players on either the first or second team.
McGinnis became the first setter in school history to be named a first-team All-American and the first to garner multiple All-America honors after being named a third-team pick in 2005. Previously, Jen Sanchez (1998) and Heidi Anderson (1992) had earned second-team honors as setters at UF. McGinnis guided the Gators to the third-best hitting percentage in the nation in 2006 at .292, while Florida was ninth in kills per game at 16.94 - a school record. In 2006, McGinnis became the first setter to ever be named the Southeastern Conference Player of the year after recording a pair of triple-doubles and breaking the Florida career setting records for kills, attacks, block solos, block assists, total blocks and points. She became the fastest player in school history to reach 3,000 and later 4,000 career assists. McGinnis also set Florida single season setter records for kills (171), kills per game (1.55) and blocks per game (1.05), while tying the record for block solos (13). Her assist average of 13.23 per game ranked fourth in school history.
Despite playing with a partial tear in her left rotator cuff for most of the season, McCray became the first UF opposite hitter to earn All-America honors since current assistant coach Jenny Manz did so in 1999. McCray joined Manz (1998, 1999) and Jenny Wood (1996) as the only opposite hitters in UF history to earn All-America honors. McCray, also a first-team All-SEC selection, shattered the Florida record for hitting percentage by an opposite hitter by finishing the season at .370 - 35 percentage points better the previous record. McCray's average of 3.71 kills per game led the team and was the highest average by an opposite hitter since Manz registered 3.76 per game in 1999. Also a blocking threat, McCray's average of 0.90 blocks per game was the fourth-best by an opposite hitter in school history. McCray finished in double figures in kills in 21 matches during the season and recorded four 20-plus kill matches in 2006.
The selections are made by the AVCA Division I All-America Committee: chair -Pi'i Aiu, Colorado; Laura Farina, Auburn, Rich Feller, California; Barry Goldberg, American; Nancy Mueller, Illinois-Chicago; Jolene Nagel, Duke; Mark Rosen, Michigan; and Pat Stangle, Wyoming. The AVCA Awards Chair is New Hampshire Head Coach Jill Hirschinger.
Each of the three AVCA All-America Teams is comprised of 12 athletes. The AVCA Division I National Player of the Year will be announced on Dec. 15 at the AVCA All-America/Players of the Year Banquet.
