Michigan State volleyball trio earn AVCA All-North honors

Michigan State juniors Alyssa Garvelink (Holland, Mich.) and Autumn Bailey (Burlington, Ontario) have been selected to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-North team, while senior Allyssah Fitterer (Georgetown, Ontario) was an honorable mention pick on Tuesday.

“It’s so special to see all of them honored – from the growth we’ve seen from Alyssa Garvelink to become one of the elite middles in our game, to the perseverance of Autumn Bailey coming off a very difficult injury to return to form, and Allyssah Fitterer earning her third Honorable Mention selection to cap off what has been a tremendous career," said head coach Cathy George in a press release.

Garvelink ranks third in the Big Ten and 14th nationally in blocks per set (1.40). Her 160 blocks on the season is sixth all-time in the single-season annals for the Spartans, as is her 145 block assists. She averaged 2.39 kills per set and hitting .359, which is good for seventh in the conference and 56th among Division I players. The junior’s 406 career blocks put her in ninth place in the all-time record book, while her 362 block assists is sixth. Garvelink’s current 1.17 career blocks per set average ranks sixth in the MSU career annals.

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Bailey, a two-time All-Region selection who transferred from Marquette after the 2014 season, missed the entire 2015 campaign with an injury. She returned to the lineup this fall and led the Spartans in kills per set (3.15, 10th B1G), ranked second in digs (2.68/set) and fourth in service aces (0.27/set, 13th B1G). She compiled eight double-doubles on the season, which included a season-best 19 kills and 20 digs in a home victory over Michigan on Nov. 12. Bailey was a two-time Honorable Mention All-American for the Golden Eagles in 2013 and 2014, and is under consideration for All-America honors this season as well.

Fitterer, a four-year starter and now three-time Honorable Mention All-Region pick, is also having the best statistical season of her career. She hit .361 on the season, good for sixth in the Big Ten, while contributing 2.06 kills and 0.75 blocks per frame. In her four-year career, she averaged 2.29 kills, hit .299, and averaged 0.80 blocks and 0.57 digs per set.  She also achieved her 1,000th career kill vs. Michigan on Nov. 23.

- Michigan State Athletic Communications