The Valpo volleyball team had a trio of players honored for their contributions to the Beacons’ Popcorn Classic championship with spots on the All-Tournament Team. Fifth-year outside hitter Bella Ravotto (Mishawaka, Ind./Marian) was tabbed Tournament MVP and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by senior right side Olivia Blackketter (Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington South [Winthrop]) and senior middle hitter Mallory Januski (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais).

Ravotto averaged a team-high 3.30 kills/set on the weekend while hitting at a .247 clip and also delivered 4.30 digs/set. She opened the weekend with a team-best nine kills on .421 hitting and nine digs in the sweep of Western Illinois. Versus Eastern Michigan, Ravotto led all players with 16 kills and added 18 digs in the thrilling five-set win, and against Oakland, she tied for team-high honors with eight kills and led all players with 16 digs.

With the score tied at 18-18 in the second set against the Eagles, she came up with back-to-back kills and later served out the final four points of the set. Then, trailing 2-1 in the match in set four and with what had been an 11-5 lead cut to 11-10, Ravotto came up with three straight kills for the Beacons to start a stretch which saw Valpo out-score EMU the rest of the match, 29-10. In the win over Oakland, Ravotto came up with a big four-point service run in the second set to turn an 18-15 deficit into a 19-18 lead as Valpo eventually won the frame, 25-22.

Januski hit .434 with 2.40 kills/set and 10 blocks over the three victories. She had a huge performance in the win over Eastern Michigan, finishing with 14 kills on .591 hitting — the third-best hitting percentage in a five-set match in program history — and a team-best five blocks. Januski posted three kills and two blocks in limited action in the sweep of WIU and closed the tournament with seven kills on .368 hitting and three blocks in the victory over Oakland.

Januski saved her best for the decisive set against Eastern Michigan. Valpo’s edge was just 4-3 before Januski tallied four kills over the next eight points, part of a 6-2 Beacon spurt which pushed the lead to 10-5 and kicked off a larger 11-3 run to close out the come-from-behind victory.

Blackketter was instrumental in Valpo’s win over Oakland to close out the tournament, matching her high in the Beacon uniform with seven kills on .333 hitting while adding three blocks. The timing of her contributions was impeccable against the Golden Grizzlies, starting with a block and a kill on consecutive points to close out Valpo’s 5-0 run to finish out its comeback to take the second set. Then, trailing 16-13 in the third set, Blackketter came up with three kills as part of a 6-1 Valpo spurt which gave the Beacons the lead for good.

For Ravotto, she earned the third All-Tournament Team accolade of her career, including her second MVP honor. Januski picked up her second career All-Tournament Team award, while Blackketter earned her first career All-Tournament honor. The trio were joined by Oakland’s Patti Cesarini and Kennedy Dolmage, Eastern Michigan’s Elle McLoughlin and Western Illinois’ Maggie Craker to round out the All-Tournament Team.

Ravotto, Blackketter and Januski and their teammates return to the court on Friday afternoon at Austin Peay’s Stacheville Challenge.