Three players representing two member-institutions were selected to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Region listings, headlined by first team selection and Big West Player of the Year Caylen Alexander of Hawai'i. Seniors Kate Lang and Olivia Utterback of UH and UC Davis, respectively, earned the honorable mention nod for their stellar efforts on the court in 2024.
All three student-athletes are making a first appearance on the AVCA All-Pacific Region listings.
Caylen Alexander, an outside hitter from Alpharetta, Ga., is making a first career appearance on the AVCA listings as a first team honoree. Alexander closed a junior season atop the NCAA Division I rankings in total kills (611) and total points (676.5) heading into the national semifinals. Alexander current rates fifth in the top 10 in kills (5.09) and seventh in points (5.64) per set. Impressively, Alexander's kills total was UH's highest mark since the current 25-point scoring system was adopted by the NCAA in 2008, standing as the first Rainbow Wahine player to exceed 600 kills in a season since Jamie Houston had 623 in 2007 under the previous 30-point scoring system.
Big West Setter of the Year Kate Lang picked up honorable mention distinction from the AVCA, finishing with a 10.51 assists per set average for Hawai'i to lead The Big West and stand as 26th in the country. Lang's 1,314 total assists is good for sixth nationally. The senior from Keller, Texas moved up to third in program history with 4,544 career assists and became just the third UH player to amass 4,000-plus assists and 1,000-plus digs in a career. Lang has amassed a record 16 career Big West Setter of the Week awards to go along with being twice named Big West Setter of the Year (2022, '24).
The Hawai'i duo helped lead the squad to consecutive Big West Championship titles and a fifth-straight Big West trophy after winning the regular season in 2019, '21 and '22 prior to the start of the postseason event.
Rounding out the selections for the league is opposite hitter Olivia Utterback of UC Davis. The native of Plainfield, Ind., led the Aggies to a tie for second in the regular-season standings and a semifinals appearance in The Big West Championship. Utterback paced the squad with 3.67 kills and 4.26 points per set to go along with 39 total aces. In four years for UC Davis, the senior has compiled 1,326 kills, 1,030 digs, 258 blocks and 156 service aces. Utterback is the first Aggie to claim a spot on an All-Region team since joining The Big West in 2007.
The AVCA instituted a new 10-region alignment this season based upon state lines rather than conference alignment. In the new configuration, the Pacific Region consists of the states of California, Hawai'i and Arizona.
Regardless of various regional changes throughout the years, The Big West has enjoyed at least one All-Region/All-District selection every season, since 1986.