INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Horizon League announced their All-League teams Thursday afternoon, with Alexandra Zakutney being named First Team, and Abby Gardner being named to the All-Freshman Team.
 
Zakutney has also been a key cog for the Phoenix all season long. The redshirt-sophomore leads Green Bay with 381 kills, good for ninth-most in the Horizon League. Zakutney also sits third in the Horizon League with 50 service aces, just six back from the league leader. Zakutney is coming off the best two-game stretch of the season, registering 20 kills and 13 digs in a 3-2 win over against Youngstown State, and 22 kills and 12 digs in a 3-2 win over Robert Morris.
 
Gardner has also been a mainstay in the Green Bay lineup, playing in 117 sets this year, the most on the team. The Libero led the team in digs with 380 on the season, the seventh-best mark in the Horizon League. Gardner was finished second on the team with 26 service aces. Her best performance came early in the season against North Dakota when she registered 24 digs and three service aces.
 
REGULAR SEASON IN REVIEW
The Phoenix finished an even .500 on the season with a 15-15 record and a 10-8 record in the Horizon League, ending the regular season with a four-match winning streak. GB won each of its last three matches in five sets, with the final match at Robert Morris this past Sunday. 
 
 Alexandra Zakutney led the Phoenix offensively in HL play this year, averaging 3.37 kills per set with 32 service aces. Zakutney recorded 13 matches with 10 or more kills, including back-to-back matches with 20 kills or more to end the regular season. 
 
BACK IN THE POSTSEASON
GB is back in the Horizon League Tournament again after not qualifying this past spring season, marking the third time in head coach Abbey Sutherland's four-year career the team has made the tournament. In its most recent trip in 2019, GB fell in the Semifinals to Milwaukee, after knocking off Oakland 3-0. GB was the No. 3 seed that season and finished in the first four out of the NCAA Tournament. Overall, GB has made five of the last six tournaments.
 
FULL HORIZON LEAGUE AWARDS
Player of the Year: Ari Miller, Milwaukee
Offensive Player of the Year: Ari Miller, Milwaukee
Defensive Player of the Year: Jenna Story, Wright State
Setter of the Year: Rylie Vaughn, Milwaukee
Freshman of the Year: Madi Malone, Milwaukee
Coach of the Year: Liz Hart, Northern Kentucky
 
All-League First Team (alphabetical by school)
Alex Zakutney, Green Bay
Carmen Heilemann, Milwaukee
Madi Malone, Milwaukee
Ari Miller, Milwaukee
Rylie Vaughn, Milwaukee
Reilly Briggs, Northern Kentucky
Anna Brinkmann, Northern Kentucky
Abby Kanakry, Northern Kentucky
Martina Delucchi, UIC
Paola Santiago, UIC
Jenna Story, Wright State
Paula Gürsching, Youngstown State
 
All-League Second Team (alphabetical by school)
Lindsay Wightman, Oakland
Katie Crowe, Purdue Fort Wayne
Sohila Wafeek, UIC
Nyssa Baker, Wright State
Callie Martin, Wright State
Lainey Stephenson, Wright State
 
All-Freshman Team (alphabetical by school)
Abby Gardner, Green Bay
Briana Brown, IUPUI
Madi Malone, Milwaukee
Joy Banks, Northern Kentucky
Sequoia Hunt, Northern Kentucky
Salma Abdelhady, UIC
Paula Gürsching, Youngstown State
 
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