KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Missouri Western had six players earn All-MIAA honors Wednesday as the league announced its postseason honors.
Ali Tauchen headlined the honors for the Griffs, receiving first team honors as a middle blocker. Tiana Butler was named second team libero. Sam Duncan (OH/RS, Allie Kerns (OH/RS, Danielle Moje (MB) and Lauren Murphy (S) received honorable mentions.
FIRST TEAM
Ali Tauchen: The junior became a three-time All-MIAA selection, receiving first team honors for the first time in her career. Tauchen received honorable mention in 2018 after being named MIAA Freshman of the Year with second team honors in 2017. Tauchen's 3.48 kills per set were fourth-best in the MIAA this season. Her .306 hitting percentage ranked sixth in the conference. She was fourth in the MIAA with 0.95 blocks per set and 20th with 0.2 service aces per set. Tauchen was also second on the team with 269 digs, averaging 2.56 per set.
SECOND TEAM
Tina Butler: Taking over as the team's libero in her senior season, Butler was named All-MIAA for the first time in her career. The Raleigh, North Carolina native's 6.03 digs per set ranked second in the MIAA. Butler had 633 total digs, 60 more than the MIAA's third-ranked total. She joined MWSU's 1,000-dig club and set an MWSU four-set record with 35 digs against Nebraska Kearney on Nov. 9. Five times this season, Butler recorded more than 30 digs, including a career-high 37 vs Emporia State on Sept. 26. Butler recorded a .959 receiving percentage.
HONORABLE MENTION
Sam Duncan: Duncan received All-MIAA honors for the first time in her Griffon career. The senior was 18th in the MIAA with 2.57 kills per set. Her 260 total kills were second on the team. She set a career-high with 17 kills at Missouri Southern on Nov. 1 and posted 15 double-digit kill matches this season.
Allie Kerns: Kerns was one of two freshmen named honorable mention All-MIAA for the Griffons. She was third on the team with 243 kills for a 2.31 kill per set average. Her 66 total blocks were second on the team. Kerns posted a career-high 17 kills on Oct. 22 against Northwest.
Danielle Moje: Another freshman All-MIAA honoree for the Griffons, Moje came on strong late in the season. Her .295 hitting percentage was eighth-best in the MIAA and her 0.7 blocks per set ranked 13th in the conference. Moje hit .500 with 10 kills in each of her last two matches and the freshman only hit under .200 one time (.182) in her final seven matches.
Lauren Murphy: Murphy became a three-time All-MIAA setter after earning second team honors in 2018 and first team honors in 2017. Her 10.2 assist per set average was fifth-best in the MIAA this season. She ended her final regular season ranked second in the rally-scoring era at MWSU with 3,873 assists needing 58 more to pass Therese Hand. Murphy's 10.52 career assist per set average is best in the rally scoring era at MWSU and she holds MWSU's single match assist record with 70, twice.
The Griffons get a third crack at Northwest Missouri in the opening, quarterfinal round of the MIAA Championships on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Hy-Vee Arena.
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