LEXINGTON, Ky. – After earning All-Sunshine State Conference recognition and AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) All-South Region honors, Alex Boone and Ally Ford of the Nova Southeastern volleyball team have each been named to the 2019 AVCA Division II Honorable Mention All-American Team. This marks the first time that a Shark has earned All-American recognition since Denvyr Tyler-Palmer in 2017.
 
"It was great to see Ally and Alex get recognized at the highest level for what they did for our team this season," said head coach Brian Rosen. "One of the biggest criteria to be selected as an All-American is how you perform against nationally and regionally ranked teams, so them being on the list shows how tough our schedule was and how well they performed in the big moments. As I said when they were selected First Team All-Region, these awards not only show how well Ally and Alex performed this season, but the overall success of our team. Ally and Alex would be the first to say that their stats and accomplishments would not be possible without the great players around them. So excited for one more season with both of them!"
 
Boone was a force to reckon with in the middle, both offensively and defensively. Her .396 hitting percentage topped all players in the Sunshine State Conference, South Region and ranks her sixth in the nation. The Burnsville, N.C. junior hit .500 or better in 15 matches this season, and after just one season as a Shark, she holds multiple records in the single season books including: No. 2 in attack percentage (.396), No. 7 in block assists (88), tied for No. 8 in blocks per set (.93) and No. 9 in total blocks (99). She also ranks No. 4 all-time in individual match attack percentage with her .812 percentage against Mississippi College on Oct. 18. She was also named to the Shark Invitational All-Tournament Team and Region Crossover All-Tournament Team.
 
Ford, a junior from Leesburg, Va., led the Shark offense this season, tallying a team-high 324 kills and averaging 3.38 kills per set, ranking her fifth in the conference. Among the outsides in the South Region, Ford finished in the Top-5 in points per set, kill percentage, blocks per set, and aces per set. Her .46 aces per set are not only tops in the region, but also 32nd nationally. Additionally, she led not only the team but the entire league with her 44 aces (0.46 per set). Ford is also featured in the NSU single-season record books, holding the No. 3 spot in points per set (4.08) and is tied for ninth in aces per set (.46).
 
In addition to the AVCA Honorable Mention All-American nod, both Boone and Ford were named to the All-SSC Newcomer Team and AVCA All-South Region Second Team, while Ford also earned a spot on the All-SSC Second Team.
 
The 2019 All-America selections were made by the AVCA Division II All-America Committee: Flip Piontek - Central Missouri (chairperson), Laurie Lokash – Slippery Rock (Atlantic Region), Chris Herron - Washburn (Central Region), John Titus - Caldwell (East Region), Wick Colchagoff - Findlay (Midwest Region), Mika Robinson - Rollins (South Region), Chuck Waddington – Angelo State (South Central), Jackie Buchanan - Chowan (Southeast), Chris Green (West Region).
 
To view a full list of the AVCA Division II All-America honors, CLICK HERE.