Three Broncbusters named to the All-Jayhawk team

Garden City, KS-It was a massive turnaround season for the Broncbuster volleyball team in 2022, and on Monday, the rest of the conference took notice. 

Middle blocker, Kate Perryman, outside hitter Fiona Arnold, and right side Jelena Milovanovic were named to the All-Jayhawk team. 

"It's always nice to get postseason recognition, but I promise that all three of these young women would give it up to still be playing and getting ready to head to Missouri right now," Head Coach, Patrick Hiltz said. 

Perryman, who transferred in from the Air Force Academy, may go down as one of the best players to come through Garden City in two decades. The freshman, who appeared in 25 matches, broke the school record with 107 blocks, good for sixth in the country and 27th in the nation. She also finished fourth on the team with 151 kills and had 54 digs. 

"Kate was about as dominant a force as we've had in several years in the middle this season," Hiltz added. "Even though her offensive numbers may not have been where she wanted them to be, Kate affected every game she played in for us with her defense and even developed a serve that kept opponents off balance."

Perryman tallied a season-best eight blocks vs. Trinidad State on Aug. 19 and against Barton on Sept. 28, a five-match thriller that ended a 45-game losing streak to the Cougars. She posted a season-high 15 kills vs. Allen County on Aug. 20 and had 10 vs. Hutchinson in the second to last regular season match. 

"We were a completely different team when Kate was on the floor and her getting awarded First Team means the rest of the coaches recognized her greatness as well," Hiltz said. 

Arnold, who arrived in August after spending the 2021 campaign at Blinn, posted a team-high 356 kills, finishing 10th in the conference and 32nd in the country. She recorded 15 or more in five matches including a season-high 20 vs. Laramie County on Sept. 2. She also had 18 against Seward County on Sept. 19. 

"Fiona was our workhorse all year long, so, it is only fitting that she get this recognition from the conference coaches," Hiltz said. "She didn't miss any games and was a six-rotation primary passer for us."

Milovanovic was one of the most impressive freshman in the conference. She finished second on the team with 311 kills, which was 17th best in the conference. She had double-digit spikes in 19 matches with a .200 hitting percentage. 

"Jelena was the oil to our offensive engine this season." Hiltz stated. "Her consistency was off the charts all year and her energy on the court was contagious! Jelena's hitting percentage was a testament to her high volleyball IQ as well as her willingness to be patient as a hitter."