Ottumwa, IA – Sophomore Sara Van Gisteren (Leuth, Netherlands/Young Talent Academy ROC Nijmegen) of the nationally ranked Indian Hills Volleyball squad has been named the 2024 Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) DI Volleyball Player of the Year, announced by the conference office on Thursday.
Van Gisteren's record-breaking season saw one of the most dominant campaigns in program history for the Warriors. The outside hitter becomes the third consecutive member of the Indian Hills Volleyball program to earn ICCAC Player of the Year honors and fourth overall.
Along with the ICCAC Player of the Year honor, Van Gisteren was one of four Warriors named to the NJCAA All-Region 11 squad.
Read More: Four Named NJCAA All-Region 11
Van Gisteren powered the Warriors to their third consecutive National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DI Volleyball Midwest District Championship and are now set to compete in the upcoming national tournament for the third consecutive year, the first such feat in program history. Indian Hills owns a 25-9 overall record and earned the No. 14 seed in this year's tournament, set for November 20-23 in Clarksville, TN.
The sophomore re-wrote the Indian Hills record books in 2024 with a chance to climb even higher heading into the postseason. Van Gisteren currently ranks second all-time in single season kills with her 609 this year while her two-year mark of 1,062 also ranks second at Indian Hills. Van Gisteren is just 29 kills away from breaking the career record and only nine away from shattering the single season record. With 136 service aces throughout her career, including a team-high 62 this year, Van Gisteren ranks fifth in school history.
Van Gisteren has put together a remarkable sophomore season where her total of 609 kills this year ranks second most in the nation. Van Gisteren also ranks second nationally with 4.54 kills/set while her 705.5 points on the year are most in the NJCAA.
In 34 total matches this year, Van Gisteren has totaled double-digit kills in all but two and has totaled at least 20 kills in 12 matches. Van Gisteren produced a career-high 31 kills against Iowa Western Community College on October 17, the most at Indian Hills since 2008.
Van Gisteren helped close out the 2024 NJCAA DI Volleyball Midwest B District Championship on November 10 with a career-high eight service aces along with 25 kills to power the Warriors into the national tournament. Van Gisteren produced six matches with at lest four aces on the year and is one of just two individuals in the nation with at least 400 kills and 60 service aces on the year.
Van Gisteren joins former Warriors King Michalska (2023-24), Hennesys Lalane (2022-23), and Mariana Rodrigues (2019-20) to earn the honor.
Along with Van Gisteren's honor, head coach Lyndsey Michel was named the ICCAC Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season.
Read More: Michel Lands Third Consecutive ICCAC Coach of the Year Honor
Indian Hills is set to take on No. 3 seed New Mexico Military Institute Wednesday, November 20 at 10:00 AM in the opening round of the national tournament.
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