Werle, Powers and Halteman named to AVCA All-America teams

HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Juniata College seniors Matt Werle (Meadville, Pa./Meadville) and Dan Powers (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township), and junior Evan Halteman (Perkiomenville, Pa./Christopher Dock) were named to the Sixth Annual American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III Men's All-America Team, which was unveiled on Monday. 

Werle and Powers were both First team selections, while Halteman received a nod to the Second team. 

Werle's selection marks the fourth time he has earned AVCA All-America honors, and his third selection as a First team honoree. The 2007 AVCA Division III Men's Player of the Year, Werle becomes the first four-time All-America selection in Juniata men's volleyball history, and the program's first three-time AVCA First team All-American.

Werle currently ranks third in the EIVA in assists per game with 12.38, and is 13^th among NCAA Division I-II statistical leaders. His 4,540 career assists ranks him third among Juniata's all-time assist leaders, and first among Juniata assist leaders in the rally-scoring era. The senior setter also ranks fourth among Juniata career service ace leaders with 110. 

Powers earns the second All-America accolade of his career with his selection this season, and his first as a First team honoree.  The senior middle hitter is currently second among both EIVA and NCAA Division I-II statistical leaders with a .504 hitting percentage, and is second among Juniata hitters with 2.89 kills per set. He is averaging 0.96 blocks per set this season. 

Halteman earns AVCA All-America honors for the first time in his career, becoming Juniata's 16^th men's volleyball All-American and the school's 110^th All-American. A junior middle hitter, he currently ranks sixth among EIVA leaders with his .431 hitting percentage, 11^th among NCAA Division I-II leaders, averaging 2.56 kills per set. Halteman is also averaging 0.74 blocks per set, second-best blocking average on the team behind Powers. 

Juniata is currently 15-7 overall, 8-4 EIVA Tait Division, and is the number one seed for this weekend's 2009 Molten Division III Invitational in Mahwah, N.J. The Eagles will play number four seed and host Ramapo College in Friday's second semifinal match, starting at 8:00 p.m.  

Juniata has also clinched the number two seed for the 2009 EIVA Tournament, earning a bye through to the tournament semifinals that take place Thursday, April 30, at Penn State's Rec Hall in State College, Pa.  The number two seed is Juniata's highest-ever seeding in the EIVA Tournament.

The complete AVCA All-America teams are listed below: 

AVCA Division III Men's First-Team All-America

Justin Brubaker, Philadelphia Biblical University, OH, So., 6-4, Telford, Pa.

Dan Coleman, Endicott College, DS/Lib., Sr., 6-0, Mills, Mass.

Andrew Cranford, Stevens Institute of Technology, MB, Sr., 6-5, Bel Air, Md.

Frank Leahy, Nazareth College, S, Sr., 6-0, Smithtown, N.Y.

Cal Palumbo, Springfield College, MB, So., 6-4, Rochester, N.Y.

Dan Powers, Juniata College, MB, Sr., 6-4, Lancaster, Pa.

Joe Trinsey, Stevens Institute of Technology, RS/Opp., Sr., 6-4, Wilmington, Del.

Phil Tully, Vassar College, OH, Sr., 6-6, Huntington Station, N.Y.

Matt Werle, Juniata College, S, Sr., 6-5, Meadville, Pa.

Devin Zolnowski, New York University, OH, Sr., 6-5, Bridgewater, N.J.

AVCA Division III Men's Second-Team All-America

Jared Andreozzi, Rivier College, OH, So., 6-4, Barrington, R.I.

Matt Ferreira, Rivier College, MB, Jr., 6-6, Lincoln, R.I.

Billy Gimello, Nazareth College, OH, Fr., 6-4, Hauppauge, N.Y.

Brandt Grobeis, Stevens Institute of Technology, S, So., 6-2, Livingston, N.J.

Evan Halteman, Juniata College, MB, Jr., 6-7, Perkiomenville, Pa.

John Kessenich, Vassar College, S, Sr., 6-4, Chicago, Ill.

Scott Lesserman, Vassar College, DS/Lib., Sr., 6-2, Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Mark Ribeiro, Springfield College, OH, Sr., 6-2, New York, N.Y.

Eric Shoemaker, Springfield College, S, Jr., 6-1, Mount Wolf, Pa.

Brad Sullivan, University of California, Santa Cruz, RS/Opp., Jr., 6-5, Saratoga, Calif.

2009 AVCA Newcomer of the Year: Billy Gimello, Nazareth College

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