LEXINGTON, Ky. – For the second straight season, a Plymouth State University women's volleyball player has earned one of the sport's most prestigious distinctions, as the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced its 44th annual NCAA Division III All-America teams on Wednesday.
 
Graduate student Ella Koelb (Auburn, N.H.) was named AVCA Division III Honorable Mention All-America as a setter. She becomes just the third All-American in the 30-year history of the program, joining Nora Ryan (2024) and Hall of Famer Casey Stoodley (2012). Koelb was the only athlete from the Little East Conference to receive All-America recognition.
 
The significant national honor caps a remarkable season for Koelb, who also collected AVCA All-Region 1 First Team accolades last week, just a day after being named First Team All-LEC.
 
Koelb did it all for the Panthers, helping guide the team to its first LEC Tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance in 21 years. She led the nation with seven triple-doubles and totaled 506 assists (4.56 per set), 326 kills (2.94 per set), 390.0 points (3.51 per set), 250 digs (2.25 per set), 43 aces, and 39 blocks, while hitting .211. She elevated her play in the LEC Tournament, averaging more than six assists and four kills per set, including a match-high 18 kills in PSU's 3-0 sweep of UMass Boston in the semifinals.
 
Plymouth State finished the year with a 23-8 record, surpassing the 20-win threshold for the sixth straight full season. The Panthers led #12 Ithaca 21-18 in the opening set of the NCAA Tournament First Round before the Bombers rallied to win in straight sets.