For the second consecutive season, Valparaiso junior libero Taylor Root (Jenison, Mich./Jenison) has been named an Honorable Mention All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).  Root becomes the second player in Valpo volleyball history to twice receive the national accolade.

Root, who currently ranks 16^th in the nation with her average of 5.46 digs/set, moved up into third place on Valpo’s single-season digs chart with 677 digs in 2011, giving her two of the top-three single-season efforts in program history.  Already the Horizon League’s career digs leader, Root will enter her senior year just 292 digs shy of the Crusader career record in the category, having tallied 2,017 digs through her first three seasons.  She also enjoyed the best season of her career on serve receive in 2011, committing just 19 service reception errors in 35 matches.