Shelley Selected to American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Region 1 Team
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Saints sophomore outside hitter Michael Shelley (San Francisco, Calif.) has been named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Region 1 team, as announced by the organization on April 15. Shelley becomes the first Emmanuel men's volleyball player in 13 years to be recognized by the AVCA for any postseason honor.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Saints sophomore outside hitter Michael Shelley (San Francisco, Calif.) has been named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Region 1 team, as announced by the organization on April 15. Shelley becomes the first Emmanuel men's volleyball player in 13 years to be recognized by the AVCA for any postseason honor.
Shelley had nothing short of a breakout season for the Saints, helping lead the team to a 17-10 (9-5 GNAC) record and the No. 4 seed in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Postseason. The Saints and Shelley made their first GNAC semifinal game appearance since 2019 after defeating Regis in the quarterfinal round.
The second-year hitter made a name for himself in Division III and the GNAC this season, leading the conference with 4.90 kills per set, which also ranked third best among all Division III players. His 338 total kills were second-most in the GNAC while his efficient .322 hitting percentage was good for sixth in the conference.
More than just an offensive threat, Shelley's 43 service aces and 0.62 service aces per set were both second-best in the GNAC. In total, Shelley accounted for 401 total points in his sophomore season, another number that led all players in the conference.
Shelley is joined by a half-dozen other GNAC men's volleyball student-athletes on the AVCA All-Region 1 Team, including four players from Wentworth and two others from Lasell. In total, Shelley is one of 56 total players named to an All-Region Team, as the AVCA announced 14 players to each of the four regions of the AVCA.
Next in the process is the AVCA determining the All-American Teams as the 56 total student-athletes from all four regions are eligible to be named an AVCA All-American. At the end of the process, 28 student-athletes will be named to the All-American Teams, 14 to each the First Team and Second Team.
Shelley is seeking to become just the second All-American in program history, joining fellow California native Curtis Abram ('11), who made the All-American Second Team in his senior season of 2011. The California combo of Shelley and Abram already held one commonality this season, as both have been named an AVCA Division III Player of the Week, after Shelley claimed the honors on Feb. 20, 2024, nearly 14 years after Abram, who claimed the same honor on March 8, 2010.
The AVCA All-American First and Second Teams will be announced next Monday, April 22, at approximately 2:00 p.m.