Grace College volleyball players Gina Novotny, Alexa Hill and Sierra Smith (left to right) celebrate during a match this season. The trio were all honored by the Crossroads League Monday (Photo courtesy of  Jeff Nycz, Mid-South Images)

WINONA LAKE – Six players from the Grace College volleyball team were honored by the Crossroads League, highlighted by Alexa Hill as the league’s Setter of the Year.

Hill and Sierra Smith were honored as First Team All-League honorees, and Sara Miller and Caylie Teel earned a spot on the Second Team.

Additionally, Kelsee Zuidema was honorable mention for All-League, and Gina Novotny was named to the league’s All-Freshman Team.

Hill was deservedly recognized as the league’s best setter. She led the nation in total assists for much of the season and currently is fourth in the NAIA with 1,450 assists. She is averaging 10.7 assists per set and has 20 matches this season with 40 or more assists.

Smith was a consistent offensive threat for Grace. She amassed a team-high 356 kills on a .245 percentage, and she had 16 matches with double-digit kills.

Teel and Miller were mainstays on Grace’s backline all year. Miller, the team’s libero, has 693 digs this year and is in striking distance of the single-season record of 747 (Stacey Jackson, 1995). The senior ranks No. 5 all-time in team history with 1,894 career digs.

Teel showcased her versatility this year. While playing primarily as a defense specialist, she stepped into an outside hitter role midway through the year as Grace battled multiple injuries. As a result, Teel is second on the team with 448 digs and fourth with 211 kills.

Zuidema has been the team’s most explosive hitter, pounding out 3.6 kills per set while hitting at a team-high .257 percentage.

Novotny was voted as one of the outstanding freshmen in the league. She averaged 2.5 digs per set with 341 digs overall.

The Lady Lancers finished third in the league standings, going 12-6 in the Crossroads League. Grace then reached the tournament semifinals before losing to eventual champion Indiana Wesleyan.