2025 AVCA Volleyball All-American Honorable Mentions

Women's Volleyball Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Three Golden Knights Named AVCA All-Americans

Arslan, Atwell and Wake collect honorable mention accolades

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The American Volleyball Coaches Association today released its 2025 AVCA All-Americans. Included in the list are three Gannon players – Bengisu Arslan (Ankara, Turkey/Private Çankaya Doga Anatolian), Lauren Atwell (Mars, Pa./Mars Area), and Sydney Wake (Massillon, Ohio/Jackson). It comes after Gannon had four honorable mention All-Americans a year ago, although all graduated.

The Golden Knights are currently in Sioux Falls, SD preparing for the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. Head coach Matt Darling's squad won its second straight Atlantic Regional to advance to the Elite Eight. Gannon is the number seven seed and will face No. 2 seed Concordia-St. Paul, the Central Region champion, at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Makenna Nold of Concordia-St. Paul was named the AVCA Division II Player of the Year.

Arslan is now a two-time AVCA Honorable Mention All-American after previously earning the honor in 2022. The native of Ankara, Turkey was earlier named to the AVCA All-Atlantic Region team for the second time and is also a D2CCA All-Atlantic Region selection.

Gannon's setter was chosen the PSAC West Athlete of the Year and is now a three-time All-PSAC West selection. She was a first team choice in 2022 and 2025 and was named to the second team in 2024. In addition, she was the 2022 PSAC West Freshman of the Year.

Arslan enters the Elite Eight with has 1,3759 assists, the second-highest season total. In fact, she now owns three of the top nine season assists totals, in the process boosting her career total to 4,481 assists. That is also good for second all-time. She leads the PSAC in assists per set (11.18), good for 10th in Division II.

She also stands second on the team in service aces (46) and third in digs with 298. She now has 1,140 career digs. She is tied for seventh in career service aces (175), along with seventh in sets played (457) and tied for eighth in matches played (128).  

Atwell and Wake are first-time AVCA All-Americans, with Atwell the force at the net and Wake emerging as Gannon's top hitter. Both were previously named first team AVCA All-Atlantic Region performers and second team D2CCA All-Atlantic Region selections. They were both also named to the All-PSAC West first team.

A 6-foot-3 middle blocker, Atwell leads the Golden Knights with 105 blocks, with team highs of 28 solo blocks and 77 block assists, while tied for in kills with 260. She ranks ninth in the PSAC in blocks per set. The junior also leads the team in hitting percentage at .333, good for fourth in the PSAC. She has moved up to fourth in career blocks with 365.
 
Wake entered her junior season with 82 career kills but the 5-foot-11 middle blocker has exploded for a team-high 347 kills and is second in hitting percentage at .298. She is also third in total blocks with 66 and fifth in digs with 133.

All three players were named to the Atlantic Regional All-Tournament Team last weekend. 
 
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Players Mentioned

Bengisu Arslan

#10 Bengisu Arslan

S
5' 8"
Senior
Lauren Atwell

#1 Lauren Atwell

MB
6' 3"
Junior
Sydney Wake

#24 Sydney Wake

RS
5' 11"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Bengisu Arslan

#10 Bengisu Arslan

5' 8"
Senior
S
Lauren Atwell

#1 Lauren Atwell

6' 3"
Junior
MB
Sydney Wake

#24 Sydney Wake

5' 11"
Junior
RS