Danielle Allen Earns ALL-OVC First Team

First player since 2017 to earn First-Team All Conference

11/17/2021 6:00:00 PM

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Senior outside hitter Danielle Allen has earned All-Ohio Valley Conference First Team for the Eastern Illinois Volleyball team this season after she helped lead the Panthers to their first OVC Tournament since the 2017 season. Allen is the first player since Allie Hueston and Taylor Smith to earn All-OVC First Team. She is the 30th player in EIU history to earn an OVC All-Conference team, and the 13th to earn First Team.

This season Allen has collected 342 kills (leads team) with an average of of 3.53 kills per set. She has also posted a .209 hitting percentage this season. Her 44 blocks are also third on the Panthers this season. She set her career high in kills on Nov. 5 against Tennessee Tech when she collected 24 of them. Allen also set her career high in attacks on Oct. 29 against Tennessee State when she attacked 57 times in the match.

Within the EIU record books, she has posted the most kills in a single season since 2014 when Abby Saalfrank posted 422. Allen has also posted the most points scored in a single season (367.5) since Allie Hueston posted 386.5 in 2015. Her 342 kills this season also marks the 16th most in a single season by any Panther.

During her last two seasons, Allen has played under head coach Sara Thomas. Coach Thomas has believed in Allen throughout her time at EIU, and talked about the impact she has had on their team this season.

"We feel blessed to have Dani in our program. Someone that since our arrival, has been open to feedback and has been willing to evolve and change. Her progress throughout this process has been admirable, along with her commitment to excellence," said coach Thomas.

"She holds herself into a very high standard, so it has made it easy to push her when needed to. Dani is the perfect example of someone who has mastered the art of utilizing her skill set to become the best version of herself."

Coach Thomas and the rest of the EIU volleyball team say congrats to Dani on her accomplishments this season. EIU will play on Thursday, Nov. 18 against Southeast Missouri in the OVC Tournament.

Here are the full OVC Postseason Awards released by the Ohio Valley Conference:

All-OVC First Team
Laney Malloy, Southeast Missouri
Olivia Lohmeier, Morehead State
Brooke Moore, Austin Peay
Brooke Lynn Watts, Murray State
Taylor Dorsey, Tennessee Tech
Zoey Beasley, Southeast Missouri
Becca Fernandez, Murray State
Claire Ochs, Southeast Missouri
Dani Allen, Eastern Illinois
Bridget Bessler, Morehead State
Karen Scanlon, UT Martin
Mikayla Powell, Austin Peay
Gina Rivera-Ortiz, Tennessee State
Ashley Hand, Tennessee Tech

All-OVC Second Team
Olivia Saunders, UT martin
Bailey DeMier, Murray State
Taylor Floyd, Belmont
Tara Beilsmith, Southeast Missouri
Irene Wogenstahl, Morehead State
Annie Ellis, SIUE
Maddie Isringhausen, Tennessee Tech

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