Ottumwa -- Indian Hills placed talented sophomores Tamara Merseli (left) and Kameo Pope (right) on the 2015 NJCAA All-American volleyball teams. Merseli, an outside hitter and honorable mention choice last year, is on this year's second team. Pope, a middle blocker from Belle Plaine, Iowa, was an honorable mention pick for the '15 season.

Merseli and Pope were two of the key reasons the Warriors enjoyed 32-win seasons each of the past two years and compiled an overall record of 64-12.

Merseli, according to coach Lyndsey Michel, has been a very important component in the IHCC attack for two seasons. "The energy and spark Tamara brought to the team is one that is irreplaceable and hard to match," Michel said. The IHCC coach recalled how Merseli became a part of her 2014 recruiting class, which was full until Michel learned one of the recruits was ineligible, opening a roster spot for the player from Belgrade, Serbia. "I knew Tamara would be something special," Michel said.

"I wasn't responding to an email from Tamara, I was finding her on Facebook and messaging her until I heard back. No more than a half hour later, Tamara was on Skype with me. Indian Hills was the place for her. She had three college offers that same day and picked us. I knew she was destined for greatness with a start at Indian Hills and we are grateful for her time here."

Merseli finished her IHCC career with 969 kills, 460 of them coming this year when she averaged 3.74 kills per set. She was also second on the team with 328 digs, giving her 767 for two seasons. She contributed 25 kills in the Warriors' win against then-top-ranked Tyler (Tex.) in an October match.

"Kameo has been a leading force for us in the middle position," the IHCC coach said of her other All-American. "Her connection with Yanjiao (Zhao), our setter, and finding the open spot on the floor was golden. She had 281 kills and an outstanding hitting percentage of .401 for the year. Kameo came up huge for us on the offensive side with 531 total attacks and only 68 errors. She was also a brick wall, accounting for total of 134 blocks."

Michel noted Pope also made a mark as one of the Warriors' top servers, rattling off 22 consecutive points in one match against Ellsworth CC.

The pair of All-Americans earlier were named first team All-Region. They are the seventh and eighth players named volleyball All-Americans in the program's history. Merseli is the first IHCC player to earn All-American honors two times.