Olga Strantzali Named to AVCA All-Region Team
CORAL GABLES. Fla. – University of Miami outside hitter Olga Strantzali was selected to the 2016 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-East Coast Region Volleyball Team, as announced by the AVCA Tuesday.
The junior was one of 14 players named All-East Coast Region and is one of 140 players to earn 2016 all-region honors. Strantzali, who was named to the All-ACC First Team following the conclusion of the 2016 season, is now eligible for AVCA All-America consideration. This is her second AVCA all-region recognition as a Hurricane, having received all-region honorable mention in 2015.
“My dream is to be an All-America and I am happy because Miami has given me a chance to follow my dream,” Strantzali said. “Being picked for all-region gets me one step closer to that and it feels good when people recognize my hard work. An honor like this only pushes me to continue to get better.”
Strantzali was one of the best players in the entire country, finishing the regular season ranked seventh in Division I with 4.76 kills per set and ninth with 5.37 points per set. Her 0.39 service aces per set sat 50th among Division I players at the conclusion of Miami’s regular season.
Among players from Power 5 conferences, Strantzali ranks third in kills per set and points per set and sixth in aces per set. She is the only player from the ACC to rank in the top 30 in Division I in kills per set and points per set and the only ACC player in the top 50 in service aces per set.
Strantzali entered the season as a Preseason All-ACC selection and she lived up to her billing. The Pylaia, Thessaloniki, Greece, native was arguably the top player in the ACC in 2016, leading the conference in kills per set, service aces per set and points per set.
“Olga had an amazing year,” Miami head coach Jose “Keno” Gandara said. “We are so proud of her. She is a great kid, a great teammate and one of our leaders. She did so much for us and she certainly deserves this recognition. Olga is a special player and has found a way to continue to develop her game. We are excited to see what else she can accomplish in her career.”
A standout player during her two seasons at Miami, Strantzali finished the season with 586 kills which ranks sixth in all of Division I. Her 586 kills are second-most in a single season in Hurricanes history and are 79 more than the second-highest total among ACC players.
Strantzali recorded 15 or more kills in 25 of Miami’s 32 matches in 2016 and eclipsed the 1,000-kill mark for her collegiate career with 1,145 kills over three seasons. She also set a new career-high with 30 kills in a five-set win at Louisville that is tied for second-most in a single match in program history.
Known for her powerful serve, Strantzali wrapped the 2016 season with an ACC-best 48 service aces, ranking 17th among NCAA Division I players and is tied for third among players from Power 5 conferences. She recorded a season-high five service aces in three matches during the 2016 campaign.
Strantzali received two all-tournament honors for her outstanding performances during non-conference play. She was selected to the 2016 Wildcat Classic All-Tournament Team and the 2016 Delaware Invitational All-Tournament Team.
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