Dec 05, 2024

Barton's Reyes becomes program's 5th two-time NJCAA All-America winner

Posted Dec 05, 2024 5:30 PM
<br>

By TODD MOORE
Barton Sports Info

Phoebe Reyes of the Barton Community College volleyball team has been announced as a first team selection of the 2024 NJCAA Division I Volleyball All-America honors.

Landing on the second team last year, Reyes is the 31st selection in forty-five years of the program's history, joining Mylena Testoni's consecutive first team honors from the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

The 24th first team honor in program history, Reyes joins just four others with two-time All-America distinction by joining Testoni, Juliana Escobar ('00 and '01), Alexis Shepherd ('94 and '95), and Michelle Hall ('89 and '90).

Earlier named the KJCCC/Region 6 Most Valuable Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, Reyes helped the Cougars to its second straight league title by winning the league with a 15-1 record before capturing its first Region 6/Plains District Tournament crown since 2020.

Advancing to its 25th NJCAA National Tournament appearance, the 6th seeded Cougars swept its opening pair of matches until getting derailed in the semifinal match for an eventual 4th place national finish and a 33-4 overall record.

The native of San Francisco de Macorís, Dominican Republic, played just three rotations of the Cougars' 6-2 offensive scheme but still ranked fourth in the KJCCC at 3.51 kills per set on a .271 attack percentage helping the squad overall to a league leading .259 efficiency.

As the Cougars swept 28 of their 37 matches during the season, Reyes' 114 sets played produced 3.23 kills per set on a .272 efficiency, reaching double-digit kills in nineteen contests posting a season high .450 efficient night at then No. 6 Colby and a pair of 18-kill performances, the first at Butler with two dates later at home against Colby.

Down the stretch in Barton's seven match post-season run, Reyes upped her game with five double-digit kills performances in averaging 3.30 kills per set while defensively averaging .74 blocks per set behind 17 blocks in the 23 frames played.

Reyes' initial season as a Cougar was equally historic, voted the league and region Freshman of the Year and the Most Valuable Player on the way to the second team NJCAA All-America list helping Barton to its then-first league title since 2011 with a 13-3 record in concluding the season in the Region VI/Plains District semifinals at 25-6.

The A-A honor was the third 2nd team selection in Cougars' history and was the program's first top freshman award winner and player of the year recipient since Maria Santos and Testoni each received the distinction respectively in the 2020 season.

Complete list of 2024-25 NJCAA Division I Volleyball All-America Teams

Barton Volleyball NJCAA All-America Selections
1st Team

Phoebe Reyes – 2024
Mylena Testoni – 2020 & 2021
Juliana Escobar – 2000 & 2001 (2001 Player of the Year)
Katia Migray Lara – 1999
Danielle Geronymo – 1998
Heidi Kerbel – 1998
Ning Zhao – 1997
Jenny Way – 1996
Alexis Shepherd – 1995
Julie Williams – 1994
Nicole Harris – 1993
Tracy Bernhardt – 1992
Lori Klenke – 1991
Michelle Hall – 1989 & 1990
Karen Washington – 1990
Yvette Clark - 1989
Paula Martin – 1988
Trish Gadberry – 1986
Sheila Johnson – 1985
Shannon Ridgeway – 1984
Carol Dreiling – 1982

2nd Team
Phoebe Reyes – 2023
Ashley Hallagin – 2001
Michelle Stirrett - 1993

Honorable Mention
Karina de Oliveira – 2019
Paula da Silva – 2011
Alik Cardoso de Sa – 2007
Fernanda De Oliveira – 1999