Ottumwa, IA – Sophomore Jarolin de los Santo (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/__) of the Indian Hills Volleyball team has been named to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DI Volleyball First-Team All-American squad after a record-breaking season for the Warriors.
de los Santos joins teammate Hennesys Lalane (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/__) on the first-team All-American squad as the two become the first set of teammates in program history to both be named NJCAA First-Team All-Americans. 2022 marks just the second time in school history that the Warriors have received multiple All-American nods from the NJCAA, joining Jill Hoeck and Olesya Bakhareva in 2005.
READ MORE: LALANE NAMED FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICAN
de los Santos left her mark on the Indian Hills program as one of the most dominant defensive players in program history. During de los Santos' sophomore season, the middle blocker posted 201 total blocks, the most by a Warrior in a single season. de los Santos also leaves Indian Hills as the school's career blocks leader with 436 total stops throughout her tenure in Ottumwa.
On the top blocking team in the nation, de los Santos set the standard for the Warriors. The sophomore led the nation in solo blocks with 64 this past seson and total blocks at 201. de los Santos' 137 block assists and 1.50 blocks/set both ranked third nationally.
"It comes as no surprise to see Jarolin as an All-American," stated head coach Lyndsey Michel. "Jarolin is the first line of defense for our volleyball battlefield and she did it as best as anyone in the nation.
de los Santos made a major impact offensively as well for the Warriors, totaling 189 kills on the year while posting a .358 hitting percentage. de los Santos finished her career fifth all-time in hitting percentage with a .337 mark.
"Jarolin has grown immensely over her time here," Michel added. "She has always been an incredible athlete, but she brought more enthusiasm this year than she has in her past two years and that was the sole difference in her play this year. It paid dividends for both her and her teammates"
Along with de los Santos' NJCAA All-American nod, the sophomore was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Second-Team All-American squad. de los Santos becomes the seventh AVCA All-American overall in program history, joining Lalane who was named an AVCA First-Team All-American. In total, the Indian Hills Volleyball program has now earned 22 All-American honors combined between the NJCAA and the AVCA.
de los Santos' contributions to the program helped lead the Warriors to 42 victories this past season, the second-most in school history. As a team, the Warriors claimed the outright regular season conference title, the NJCAA Midwest District Championship, and a fourth-place finish at the national tournament.
Over the past two seasons, de los Santos was a two-time NJCAA All-Region XI First-Team selection, an NJCAA Region XI All-Academic selection, and a five-time Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) Athlete of the Week.
de los Santos has committed to continue her academic and athletic career at NCAA Division I Drake University in Des Moines, IA next year.
"Jarolin is a wonderful teammate who is leaving with accolades she has earned and deserved," Michel added. "She will be missed here, but I am excited to watch her be a difference maker at the next level. Drake University is lucky to have her."
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