Completed Event: Beach Volleyball versus #4 Texas on March 21, 2026 , Loss , 2, to, 3
Beach VB
vs #4 Texas
L 2-3
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Turner, Kotnik named to All-American team
5/19/2017 4:39:00 PM | Beach Volleyball
For the third consecutive year, two GCU Beach Volleyball players were recognized by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) as Beach Volleyball All-Americans. Junior Molly Turner and redshirt senior, Tjasa Kotnik were one of eight pairs representing this year's All-American class.
"This is our second All-American pair in the past two years which is a true testament to our players commitment to what we are doing at GCU and the program itself," head coach Kristen Rohr said. "Molly and Tjasa competed with the top pairs in the country all season. They have proven themselves and have earned national respect while representing GCU as two outstanding young women. We are so proud of Molly and Tjasa and the way the entire team stepped up this year and displayed the strength and exciting future of our program."
Turner and Kotnik went 20-4 year, posting victories over eight top-ranked teams. In the opening weekend at the new GCU Beach Stadium, the No. 1 pairing took down then-No. 5 ranked Hawaii, continuing their undefeated streak into the second weekend of completion and starting off the season with a 10-0 record.
Kotnik, a redshirt senior, transferred for one last year of collegiate competition. Prior to GCU, she played indoor volleyball at Eckered College as well as the University of Utah. At Eckered, Kotnik was a dual-sport athlete playing both indoor and beach volleyball.
Turner, a junior, completed her third year at GCU while earning the No. 1 defender spot on the team. As a freshman, she played in the No. 2 spot, going 5-9 in duals. Her sophomore year, Turner again held down the two-spot going 18-8 with redshirt senior, Aleksandra Wachowicz. Turner was named to the A1 USA Beach Volleyball National team last year, and expects to return and train with them this summer.
Turner and Kotnik join former teammates, Shannon Dugan and McKenzie Phelps as the third and fourth all-time All- Americans. In 2015, Dugan and Phelps became the first student-athletes to earn All- American honors since GCU started the transition to Division I in 2013. In the following year, they were honored with the same title.
The Lopes finished their season at 17-8 and ranked No. 10 in the nation. Looking to next year, the Lopes will work to crack the top eight and give themselves the opportunity to go to Nationals.
2017 AVCA Collegiate Beach Volleyball All-Americans
*DENOTES NUMBER OF YEARS SELECTED TO AN AVCA COLLEGIATE BEACH ALL-AMERICA TEAM
2017 AVCA Collegiate Beach Volleyball Honorable Mention
"This is our second All-American pair in the past two years which is a true testament to our players commitment to what we are doing at GCU and the program itself," head coach Kristen Rohr said. "Molly and Tjasa competed with the top pairs in the country all season. They have proven themselves and have earned national respect while representing GCU as two outstanding young women. We are so proud of Molly and Tjasa and the way the entire team stepped up this year and displayed the strength and exciting future of our program."
Turner and Kotnik went 20-4 year, posting victories over eight top-ranked teams. In the opening weekend at the new GCU Beach Stadium, the No. 1 pairing took down then-No. 5 ranked Hawaii, continuing their undefeated streak into the second weekend of completion and starting off the season with a 10-0 record.
Kotnik, a redshirt senior, transferred for one last year of collegiate competition. Prior to GCU, she played indoor volleyball at Eckered College as well as the University of Utah. At Eckered, Kotnik was a dual-sport athlete playing both indoor and beach volleyball.
Turner, a junior, completed her third year at GCU while earning the No. 1 defender spot on the team. As a freshman, she played in the No. 2 spot, going 5-9 in duals. Her sophomore year, Turner again held down the two-spot going 18-8 with redshirt senior, Aleksandra Wachowicz. Turner was named to the A1 USA Beach Volleyball National team last year, and expects to return and train with them this summer.
Turner and Kotnik join former teammates, Shannon Dugan and McKenzie Phelps as the third and fourth all-time All- Americans. In 2015, Dugan and Phelps became the first student-athletes to earn All- American honors since GCU started the transition to Division I in 2013. In the following year, they were honored with the same title.
The Lopes finished their season at 17-8 and ranked No. 10 in the nation. Looking to next year, the Lopes will work to crack the top eight and give themselves the opportunity to go to Nationals.
2017 AVCA Collegiate Beach Volleyball All-Americans
| Name | Institution | Year | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leigh Andrew | Florida State University | Gr. | Fort Lauderdale, Fla. |
| Brooke Kuhlman | Florida State University | So. | Naples, Fla. |
| Molly Turner | Grand Canyon University | Jr. | Naperville, Ill. |
| Tjasa Kotnik | Grand Canyon University | RS-Sr. | Ljubljana, Slovenia |
| Nele Barber | Long Beach State University | Jr. | Berlin, Germany |
| Rachel Nieto | Long Beach State University | Jr. | Walnut Creek, Calif. |
| Madalyn Roh | Pepperdine University | So. | Scottsdale, Ariz. |
| Delaney Knudsen | Pepperdine University | Sr. | Valencia, Calif. |
| Megan McNamara** | UCLA | So. | Vancouver, BC, Canada |
| Nicole McNamara** | UCLA | So. | Vancouver, BC, Canada |
| Morgan Martin | University of Hawai'i | Fr. | Mission Viejo, Calif. |
| Mikayla Tucker | University of Hawai'i | Sr. | Placerville, Calif. |
| Kelly Claes*** | University of Southern California | Sr. | Fullerton, Calif. |
| Sara Hughes**** | University of Southern California | Sr. | Costa Mesa, Calif. |
| Allie Wheeler | University of Southern California | Sr. | Saratoga, Calif. |
| Sophie Bukovec** | University of Southern California | Sr. | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
2017 AVCA Collegiate Beach Volleyball Honorable Mention
| Name | Institution | Year | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Savannah Slattery | Loyola Marymount University | Fr. | Malibu, Calif. |
| Sarah Sponcil | Loyola Marymount University | Jr. | Phoenix, Ariz. |
| Payton Rund | Saint Mary's College | So. | Albany, Ore. |
| Lindsey Knudsen | Saint Mary's College | So. | Santa Clarita, Calif. |
Players Mentioned
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