Cowley lands three players on list of volleyball All-Americans

Capping its second straight unbeaten season, the Cowley College volleyball team had three players named to the NJCAA Division II All-Americans list.

Leading the way were First Team All-American selections Laura Bonomi and Hanna Darvas. Sophomore outside hitter Sara Puskus was named a Third Team All-American.

"We are very proud of Laura, Hanna, and Sara for being honored with All-American awards." Cowley coach Steven Gream said. "It is such a joy to see these quality athletes be recognized among the many talented athletes in the NJCAA and even our tough conference. Each of them put in the work all season to improve each day, and they would each say they could not have earned this honor without their teammates. They and their teammates worked so hard this year, and these honors are a testament to a total 'Team First' attitude where each player worked for and played for each other."

Bonomi did not lose a match in her two years at Cowley and finished with the fourth most kills (1,055) in the program's history. This season, Bonomi led Cowley with 560 kills while adding 431 digs.

"Laura is an outside hitter with a great amount of talent and grit that was a huge part of our success in her two years at Cowley," Gream said. "She has a great amount of confidence that translated to her fearlessness on the court as both a hitter and a back row defender. She is a gamer and a strong leader and brought that to our team and play on the court." Gream said. "Her all-around skills provided a great balance to our offense and anchored our defense and serve receive. On offense, her powerful and consistent arm swing allowed her to keep defenses honest while her 'libero-like' defensive skills allowed her to shut down opponents and provide a solid pass to our setters."

Darvas came to Cowley with great talent and experience, having played at a high level in Hungary. She finished her freshman season with an incredible 1,440 assists and 312 digs.

"Once Hanna arrived, she adjusted very quickly to the college game and our style of play to become a strong leader of our offense," Gream said. "Her high volleyball IQ, attention to detail, court awareness, strong footwork, and fast tempo sets made her one of the top, if not the top, setters in the NJCAA. Our offense is a very aggressive offense with a limited amount of time to make a decision and execute the play. It is tough for any setter to master, let alone a freshman, and she mastered it beautifully to lead Cowley to have the top offense in the nation."

As a sophomore, Puskus followed up a strong freshman season by working hard to achieve even bigger things. She finished the 2024 season with 408 kills and 143 digs.

"Sara was a determined player who enhanced her skill set, increased her physical strength, tweaked her sets and shots on the court, and added new elements to her game," Gream said. "These abilities made our offense more balanced and hard to defend against our opponents to provide wide-open looks for easy kills. Sara was already one of the top opposite hitters in the nation, but these adjustments and additions made her one of the top hitters in the nation in the top offense in the nation."