May 2, 2007

CHICAGO - Loyola University Chicago middle blocker James Grunst was named Second Team All-America by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, it was announced today. Grunst is the first player in Loyola school history to repeat as an honoree and was one of nine on this season's 20-player list to earn All-America honors for at least two consecutive seasons.

As of April 30, Grunst ranks second in the nation with a .550 hitting percentage (273-40-424) and shattered Shawn Schroeder's .501 school record set in the 2003 season. The three-time First-Team All-Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association honoree ranked second on the team this season with 2.48 kills and 0.79 blocks per game. The All-MIVA Academic team member was named both the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II National and MIVA Player of the Week on April 2.

Grunst ended his career in Rogers Park as the all-time leader in hitting percentage, with a .486 mark (1105-210-1841) and his 1,105 kills lands sixth on the school's all-time list.

UC Irvine leads the way with four players honored as AVCA Division I-II All-America, placing one on the first team, and three on the second team. Three BYU players received the honor, two on the first team and one on the second team. UCLA, UC Santa Barbara and Pepperdine each landed two players on the All-America teams. Ball State, IPFW, Loyola, Ohio State, Pacific, Penn State and Saint Francis (Pa.) each had one honoree.

The 2007 selections were made by the AVCA Men's Volleyball All-America Committee: chairperson Sean Byron (Rutgers-Newark), Jeff Campbell (Cal State Northridge), Fred Chao (George Mason), Shane Davis (Loyola Chicago), Pete Hanson (Ohio State), Mark Pavlik (Penn State), John Speraw (UC Irvine), Joel Walton (Ball State) and Joe Wortmann (Pacific).

The Ramblers finished 23-7 (8-4 MIVA Shondell/Dunlap) for the second consecutive season, which ties for the third-most wins for a single season in the program's 12-year history.