Thompson, Alvarenga Earn Volleyball All-Conference Awards
MEDIA, Pa. -- A pair of Penn State Brandywine freshmen were honored on the All-Penn State University Athletic Conference Volleyball Teams on Monday as Jordan Thompson (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) was selected to the first team and Suzie Alvarenga (Fullerton, Calif./Notre Dame Academy) earned honorable mention accolades.
A starter in all 20 matches, Thompson finished second on the team with 122 kills, an average of 1.82 per set. Her 37 blocks ranked second among PSUAC East Division players and tied for 10th overall in the PSUAC. Thompson also added 28 aces, good for third on the team.
Three times Thompson produced a double-figure kill total, including 10 in Brandywine's PSUAC Tournament quarterfinal match versus Penn State Schuylkill and a season-best 12 in a four-set victory over Scranton on Oct. 2. Thompson also notched five blocks against Schuylkill on Oct. 28, matching her season-high set 18 days earlier against Penn State Mont Alto.
Alvarenga was the team's leader in digs, while playing in 19 matches as Brandywine's libero. She produced 257 digs, ranking first in the East Division and fourth overall in the PSUAC. Her dig total was also 11th-best in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association.
Alvarenga reached double-digit digs 15 times with her career-high coming in the postseason as she totaled 32 in five sets against Penn State Schuylkill. In 64 sets this fall, Alvarenga averaged 4.02 digs per frame, while also collecting 32 aces and 27 assists.
In addition, sophomore Dana Palmer (New London, Pa./Avon Grove) received the John Fritz Sportsmanship Award. Named after former PSUAC Commissioner John Fritz, the sportsmanship award is given to one player from each team in the league who best displays the core values of the league and sportsmanship to teammates and opponents throughout the season. Palmer played in 19 matches, recording 75 kills, 31 digs and nine blocks.
Brandywine finished the season with a record of 13-7, including a mark of 11-1 in PSUAC play.
