Iva Halacheva and Rossana Papa named All-Americans by VolleyballMag.com
Cowley College volleyball standouts Iva Halacheva and Rossana Papa are just two of 11 players selected to the NJCAA Division II team by a panel of coaches and experts at VolleyballMag.com. They join two other players from the KJCCC conference DII ranks as Johnson County also had two selected. KJCCC Division I Butler County also had a player honored.
Halacheva, a sophomore from Plovdiv, Bulgaria and Papa, a freshman from Brescia, Italy, helped the Lady Tigers make a return to the NJCAA Division II National Championships, placing runner-up in the national championship. On the year, Halacheva totaled 605 kills at 4.65 kills per set, a .450 hitting percentage, 71 service aces, 159 digs, and 694 points. She was named to the NJCAA DII All-Tournament team at the national tournament.
For her career, Halacheva finished with 1,583 total kills, 4.71 kills per set, a .380 hitting percentage, 145 service aces, 462 digs, 107 blocks, and 1,787 points.
Halacheva ranks first in Cowley history on the career kills list, first on the career kills per set list, fifth on the career hitting percentage list, fourth on the career service aces list, third on the single-season list for kills, third on the single-season list for hitting percentage, 11th on the single-season list for service aces, and first on the single-match list for kills.
On the year, Papa totaled 1,539 total assists at 11.84 assists per set, 56 kills, a .395 hitting percentage, 268 digs at 2.06 digs per set, 95 aces, and 41 blocks. Papa ranks third on the single-season list for total assists and third on the single-season list for service aces. After her freshman season she ranks eighth on the career assists list, third on the career assists per set list, and 13th on the career service aces list.
"It is such a joy to see these quality athletes be recognized in the first All-American list issued by VolleyballMag.com," head coach Steven Gream said. "With only 11 players recognized among the many talented athletes out there, it is truly an honor to see these players' hard work pay off. These two and their teammates worked so hard this year and these honors are a testament of a total 'Team First' attitude where each player worked for and played for each other. I could not be prouder of Iva and Rossana and their teammates."
Cowley won the KJCCC conference title, a District championship, and finished runner-up in the NJCAA DII national tournament with Halacheva and Papa in the rotation.