Lizzy Counts '20 became part of an exclusive group of Colorado College volleyball players by earning first-team All-America honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association for the recently completed 2017 season.
Right side hitter Aria Dudley '19 and sophomore outside hitter Jordan Mullen '20 were named honorable-mention All-Americans.
In the 39-year history of the program, Counts and Cathy Costello '90 are the only Tigers to be named to the AVCA's first team as sophomores.
Costello, CC's only four-time All-American, was a second-team selection during her freshman season in 1986 and went on to earn first-team certificates in each of her final three seasons.
Counts and Costello are two of the eight Colorado College student-athletes who have earned first-team All-America honors. The other six are Elissa Breitbard (1987), Amy Smith (1987), Sara Boyles (2001), Emily Perkins (2009, '10), Abbe Holtze (2013, '15, '16), and Courtney Birkett (2015).
"Being an All American is a great honor and Lizzy definitely deserves it," head coach Rick Swan says. "Not only is she a great teammate, Lizzy is the consummate competitor who always plays her best when the match is on the line. She has worked hard all year and has done so much for her team."
Counts led the Tigers to a 33-2 record, the SCAC regular-season and tournament championships, as well as the program's 20th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship.
This season, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year led the conference averaging 10.19 assists per game and was fourth with 54 service aces and an average of 0.45 aces per game.
Counts also ranked third on the team with a .290 hitting percentage and 276 digs, and was fifth with 42 total blocks.
The Oakland, California, native also guided Colorado College to a .259 team hitting percentage, which led the SCAC and ranked fourth nationally.
After just two seasons, Counts is fifth on the program's career list with 2,120 assists. This year, she finished with a personal high of 1,223 assists, which ranks third on the program's single-season chart. Read more here.