The 2023 season for the Quincy University women's volleyball team was another year of great success under the tutelage of Head Coach, Mark Jones, that featured not only the best team winning percentage at the university for a second consecutive season, but also a new NCAA era record for consecutive wins with 20 as well as a second-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and two All-America selections.
QU kicked off the 2023 season with a trip down to Kingsville, TX for the Texas A&M University - Kingsville Invitational which saw the Hawks open with three wins before falling to the host and future NCAA South Central Regional qualifier Javelinas in five sets.
Following the loss on September 2nd, Quincy rattled off 20 consecutive victories spanning over 60 days and two calendar months before finally being done in by McKendree in a five-set defeat on November 3rd. During the blazing hot streak, the Hawks claimed 60 sets to just 15 sets lost in the 20 matches with half of the victories coming via sweep to break the previous 14-match NCAA era win streak set by the 2022 team the season prior.
The Hawks used the incredible stretch to power a third-place finish in the Great Lakes Valley Conference standings and fourth conference tournament appearance in as many years.
Sitting at 24-5 at the conclusion of conference tournament play, Quincy was once again selected for the NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament for a second-straight season, this time trading in hosting duties from the 2022 season for a fourth seed berth at the UMSL hosted regional tourney in 2023.
Quincy drew the fifth-seeded Lakers of Grand Valley State University in the opening round of the Midwest Regional, dropping the match to conclude the season after losing third team AVCA All-American middle, Alice Pavan to injury in the previous match 13 days earlier against Maryville at the GLVC Tournament.
Pavan, a sophomore out of Mira, Italy was an integral part of the Hawks success, posting a top 10 hitting percentage in all of DII that ranked second all-time in the program record books at .416. In addition, Pavan averaged over a block per set (1.09) on 120 total blocks, a mark that sits fifth in the program's history for single-season total blocks.
Her 332 kills and 430 total points also ranked in the top 10 in the conference helping lead to All-GLVC and All-Region first team honors from both the AVCA and D2CCA along with the third team AVCA All-American selection.
Joining Pavan on the All-America team was junior Emma Wijnbergen who was chosen as an honorable mention selection. Wijnbergen cemented herself as one of the most dominant outside hitters in all of DII, setting a new QU record in kills per set at 4.41 with the second most total single-season kills in program history at 490.
Eclipsing the 20-kill mark on 10 occasions last season, the Meerlo, Netherlands native also finished second in the conference in total points (562) and points per set (5.06) while meeting the 1000 career kill benchmark in just three seasons with an 18-kill performance in a match against McKendree on 11/3.
Wijnbergen was also recognized as a first team All-GLVC performer and first team All-Region selection by both the AVCA and D2CCA along with the honorable mention All-American choice.
Pavan and Wijnbergen became the second pair of Quincy All-American selections in as many years, joining Mikayla Knoblauch and Mattison Norris who earned the honors in the 2022 season.
Brianna Merkel also joined Pavan and Wijnbergen as a first team All-GLVC selection, finishing second in the conference in both total assists (1211) and assists per set (11.32).
QU skipper, Mark Jones, collected his 100th career win at the helm of the program in his fifth season leading the Hawks in a 3-1 victory over Indianapolis on 11/10. Under Jones, Quincy has enjoyed four-straight winning seasons with back-to-back 20-win seasons, each earning a GLVC Tournament berth along with back-to-back NCAA Midwest Regional appearances that now stands as the longest active NCAA Tourney streak at the university.
In his five years leading the program, Jones has coached the first four All-Americans in the programs history along with double digit All-GLVC selections and nine All-Region nods between the AVCA and D2CCA.
Quincy will kick off its quest for a third-straight NCAA Midwest Regional appearance on Friday (Sep. 6) against the defending Southeast Region champion Trojans of Anderson University at the Trevecca Nazarene Tournament in Nashville, TN.
