Two finish careers Viterbo’s
all-time kills, assists leaders
Alicia Olson was named a first team NAIA All-American on Monday.
The Viterbo University senior volleyball player helped lead her team to the final four of the NAIA tournament this season and finished the NAIA kills leader. She’s Viterbo’s all-time kills leader and ranks first, second and third on the single-season kills leaderboard at the school.
Teammate Brianna Brinkman, Viterbo’s all-time assists leader, was named honorable mention.
The two led the V-Hawks to their best season in history, finishing 39-9 and a deep run in the NAIA tournament twice in the last three seasons.
This is the second time in three seasons Olson has been named to the first team. She was second team last year.
Olson finished with nearly 200 more kills than the next player in the NAIA, finishing with 855. That also blew away her old V-Hawks single-season kills record of 655. She finished her career with 2,468 kills, passing Katie Flock, who now sits No. 2 all-time with 1,840.
“(She) showed tremendous toughness bringing her best each and every game,” Viterbo coach Ryan DeLong said. “She is our go-to player and she rarely disappoints. I’m so proud of all she’s done on the volleyball court and off the court.
“She is a tremendous person and just a complete individual and I am proud of what she has accomplished not only this year but her four years as a Viterbo volleyball player.”
As for Brinkman, this was her first all-American honor and the 10th overall for the program.
The senior finished third in the NAIA with a career-high 1,722 assists, which tops the single-season record at Viterbo. She also is second on that list.
Brinkman finished her career the Viterbo all-time leader in assists with 3,677, topping Stacie Hoffman’s 3,180.
“It is well deserved for her and all she’s done on the floor this year,” DeLong said. “She has been a good player for the past three years but this year she stepped up their game and became one of our go-to players.
“Her ability to learn and run the offense allowed us to be one of the most efficient offenses in the country.”