NAPERVILLE – On the eve of the first day of the league’s 37th annual postseason tournament, the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) announced its Women’s Volleyball All-Conference Team after a coaches’ vote on Monday.
 
Illinois Wesleyan’s Taylor French joined North Park’s Christina Gatta and head coach Michael Sopocy as repeat specialty award winners. French was voted CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year, Gatta was selected CCIW Setter of the Year and Sopocy was the league’s Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.
 
Additionally, Faith Washko of Illinois Wesleyan was chosen CCIW Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year and Meg Rothermel of North Park collected the CCIW First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year award.
 
French, who was voted CCIW First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year last season as a freshman, led all conference players with 4.83 kills per set during the league schedule. She also attacked at a .214 clip, averaged 3.31 digs per set and was the only player in the league to average more than 5.0 points scored per set (5.4). 
 
The sophomore outside hitter from Romeoville, Ill. is a five-time CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week in 2023, was selected AVCA/GameChanger National Player of the Week on Oct. 31 and will enter Tuesday’s CCIW Tournament quarterfinal ranked fifth nationally with 4.74 kills and 5.34 points scored per set.
 
Washko was voted the league’s top defensive player after leading the CCIW with 5.90 digs per set. She had 25 digs or more in four CCIW starts, including a 31-dig effort versus Carroll on Sept. 13 that were second-most in a league match this season, and a 28-dig performance against Augustana that were the most digs in a five-set CCIW match in 2023.
 
Last season’s CCIW Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year, Gatta was voted Setter of the Year on Monday after leading the CCIW during the league schedule in both assists per set (9.39) and service aces per set (0.79). She tallied a single-match league-best 10 service aces against Carroll as part of a triple-double on Nov. 4 and also had a CCIW-high 54 assists against Augustana on Oct. 20.
 
Rothermel was the lone freshman voted to the All-CCIW First Team after ranking among the league leaders in both hitting percentage and blocks per set. She closed the eight-match CCIW slate ranked second with a .304 hitting percentage and fourth with 0.94 blocks per set. 
 
Sopocy is now a two-time CCIW Coach of the Year after leading the Vikings to their first CCIW regular-season title in conference history with an 8-0 mark. The Vikings – who reached a high mark of #15 in the AVCA national rankings last Tuesday – have won 23 matches on the year overall and own three wins over teams ranked in the AVCA top 10 this season.

CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year
Taylor French, Illinois Wesleyan
 
CCIW Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year
Faith Washko, Illinois Wesleyan
 
CCIW Setter of the Year
Christina Gatta, North Park
 
CCIW First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year
Meg Rothermel, North Park
 
CCIW Coach of the Year
Michael Sopocy, North Park
 
All-CCIW First Team
Emily Schipper, Augustana, Sr., OH, Fulton, Ill., Fulton
Grace Vranicar, Augustana, Sr., L, Sugar Grove, Ill., Kaneland
Jenna Damon, Carthage, So., L, Durand, Ill., Durand
Lucy Anderson, Elmhurst, Gr., MH, Indianapolis, Ind., Bloomington South
Taylor French, Illinois Wesleyan, So., OH, Romeoville, Ill., Plainfield East
Faith Washko, Illinois Wesleyan, Sr., L, Springfield, Ill., Sacred Heart-Griffin
Sophia Howell, Millikin, Jr., L, St. Louis, Mo., Webster Groves
Kailee Itzenhuiser, Millikin, Jr., OH, Naperville, Ill., Naperville North
Maddi Barickman, North Central, Jr., S, Geneseo, Ill., Geneseo
Christina Gatta, North Park, Sr., S, Chicago, Ill., Resurrection
Adriana Rodriguez, North Park, Jr., OH, Carolina, Puerto Rico, Saint Francis
Meg Rothermel, North Park, Fr., MB, Cary, Ill., Cary-Grove
 
All-CCIW Second Team
Amelie Baehr-Ross, Augustana, Sr., S, Thornton, Colo., Stargate
Sydney Krueger, Augustana, Sr., MB, Elmhurst, Ill., York
Katie Jensen, Carroll, Sr., RS, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Cedar Rapids
Kristina Manoljovic, Carthage, Fr., OH/RS, Skokie, Ill., Niles West
Aly Reardon, Elmhurst, Gr., OH, Downington, Pa., Downington West
Jordan Pierce, Illinois Wesleyan, Sr., S, Bonfield, Ill., Herscher
Addison Oyer, Millikin, So., OH/RS, Ludlow, Ill., Paxton Buckley Loda
Abbi Barickman, North Central, Jr., OH/RS, Geneseo, Ill., Geneseo
Amber Vande Hei, North Central, Jr., MB, Green Bay, Wis., Preble
Shamyia Collier, North Park, Jr., MB, Orlando, Fla., Bishop Moore
 
CCIW RESPECT Award Recipients
Sarah Sorrell, Augustana, Sr., Sherrard, Ill., Sherrard
Lindsey Diep, Carroll, Sr., Grayslake, Ill., Grayslake
Ella Pettinger, Carthage, Jr., Dubuque, Iowa, Dubuque
Keely Larson, Elmhurst, So., San Diego, Calif., Bonita Vista
Lily Summers, Illinois Wesleyan, Sr., Plainfield, Ill., Plainfield North
Kaitlyn Skowronski, Millikin, Jr., Naperville, Ill., Naperville Central
Najwa Williams, North Central, Fr., Chicago, Ill., Mother McAuley
Teiya Alagar, North Park, Sr., Gresham, Ore., Central Catholic
Faith Bailey, Wheaton, So., Petoskey, Mich., Petoskey