WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Two members of the 2012 Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Volleyball team have been named to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American Teams.

Freshman outside attacker Helena Peric was named to first-team All-American on the NJCAA’s Division I list and second-team All-American on the AVCA’s list for two-year colleges.  Sophomore outside attacker Taylor Swayzer was named second-team All-American on both listings.

“I’m incredibly proud of Taylor and Helena being named NJCAA and AVCA All-Americans,” Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach Paula Wiedemann said.  “They helped us return to being one of the top 10 programs in the country again this season, and their leadership will carry on into next season.  That is the kind of impact they’ve had on our program.”

In her first year as a Grizzly, Peric, who also was named to the all-tournament team at the 2012 NJCAA Division I Women’s National Volleyball Championship Tournament last month, recorded 501 kills, a .298 attacking percentage, 49 aces, 440 digs, 44 blocks and 594 total points.

“Helena had a great freshman season and led us offensively throughout the year,” Wiedemann said.  “She has earned a lot of attention as a player who has power, and people notice her when she’s on the court because of it.  This is a wonderful honor for her and will give all the Grizzly fans something to look forward to next season, as well!”

Swayzer recorded 340 kills, a .207 attacking percentage, 23 aces, 456 digs, 47 blocks and 410 total points.

“I couldn’t be happier for Taylor and the recognition she is receiving for the hard work and commitment she put into this past year,” Wiedemann said.  “She is an example of hard work paying off in so many ways, both on and off the court.  The time and effort it takes to improve as a player and leader of a team cannot be taken for granted, and Taylor made it her goal to prove she could be that player.  This is a tremendous honor for her and icing on the cake to cap off a teriffic season for Grizzly Volleyball.”

For a full list of this year’s All-American honorees, visit www.njcaa.org and www.avca.org.  For more information about the Grizzly Volleyball team, visit the team’s website at http://wp.missouristate.edu/grizzly/vb/.