Taylor volleyball sophomores Kelsey Pritchard and Betsy Brown have both received All-American honors from the NAIA, the national office announced late Saturday. Pritchard was named to the Tachikara-NAIA All-America Second Team, while Brown received All-America Honorable Mention status for the second straight season.

Pritchard (Indianapolis, Ind./Brownsburg) was also named to the 14-member NAIA National Championship All-Tournament Team after collecting 54 kills in four national championship matches last week. She joins NAIA all-time kills leader Natalie (Steele '98) Crane as the only other Trojan to earn a spot on the NAIA All-Tournament Team.

With 661 kills to end the season, Pritchard led the NAIA in that category and ranked sixth in the nation with 4.38 kills per set to go along with a .339 hitting percentage.

The Second Team All-American honor is the highest ever received by a Taylor volleyball sophomore. The six-time Mid-Central College Conference Player of the Week becomes the fourteenth player to receive at least one All-American honor in her TU career.

On Nov. 14 Pritchard was named First Team All-MCC for the second consecutive season after leading Taylor to its third straight MCC regular season championship and its first conference tournament championship since 2001.

Earlier this season Pritchard was named the NAIA National Player of the Week (Oct. 27) following a career-high 33 kills in a five-set victory over then-No. 18 Madonna.

Brown (Adrian, Mich./Lenawee Christian) earned her second Honorable Mention All-America distinction in as many seasons after dishing out 1,612 assists this season, which ranked sixth in the nation for the reigning two-time MCC Setter of the Year.

Also earning her second straight First Team All-MCC distinction, Brown led the conference in assists for the second straight season. Seven times she was named the MCC Setter of the Week.

After missing last postseason due to injury, Brown bounced back from offseason surgery as strong as ever with 91 kills and 55 blocks.  Her 335 digs and 41 service aces both ranked second on the team. With 10.75 assists per set, Brown ranked eleventh in the NAIA.

Brown becomes just the second player in Taylor history to garner All-American honors in both her freshman and sophomore seasons. Linsey Taatjes was the last to do so when she was named Third Team All-American in 2003 and 2004.

Taylor was the only team in the NAIA to have two sophomores receive All-American recognition.

Adding to their postseason accolades, Brown and Pritchard were both named to the 14-member American Volleyball Coaches Association NAIA All-Mid-Central Region Team late last week. 

"I'm excited for Kelsey and Betsy to receive these All-America honors," said Taylor head coach Brittany Huyser Smith. "It's a privilege to receive this recognition, and I know they would give all the credit to their teammates. That makes it even more special for us to recognize them in just their second year of collegiate play. They both have bright futures ahead of them."

Taylor (37-7) finished the season as one of the top 12 teams in the NAIA after advancing past pool play at the national championship in Sioux City, Iowa, for the first time since 1997.