LEXINGTON, Ky.- The American Volleyball Coaches' Association (AVCA) announced on Wednesday that Southwest Minnesota State junior outside hitter, Taylor Reiss, was named the TeamSnap/ AVCA Division II Player of the Year, making her the first recipient of the award in SMSU history.

The announcement, which comes just one day after Reiss was named to the first team AVCA All-American team for a second straight year, was made at the NCAA Division II Volleyball Championship Banquet at the Hilton Hotel in Pensacola, Florida. She will also be honored at the AVCA All-America/Player of the Year Banquet on Friday, December 15th in conjunction with the 2017 AVCA Convention in Kansas City, Missouri.

Reiss, a native of Taunton, Minn., and a 2015 graduate of Minneota High School, was named the CCA Central Region Player of the Year while also earning first team CCA All-American honors for 2017. She received the AVCA/ Sports Imports Division II National Player of the Week honors on two occasions during the 2017 season after being named the Northern Sun's Preseason Player of the Year back in August.

Reiss garnered first-team All-NSIC honors after leading the Mustangs this season with 605 kills while hitting .305. She also had 363 digs, 73 total blocks and 24 service aces and was named the NSIC Player of the Year for a second straight year after leading the conference in both kills per set (4.9) and points per set (5.4) during conference play.

Reiss tied an NSIC tournament record last month with 31 kills in the Mustangs' quarterfinal win over Upper Iowa and followed up by breaking the SMSU all-time single match record with 41 kills against Augustana in the NSIC semifinal round.

In SMSU volleyball history, she ranks second in kills per set (4.66), third in points per set (5.31), eighth in attack percentage (.310) and seventh in total kills (1,482).

Reiss, who was named the AVCA Central Region Freshman of the Year back in 2015, helped the Mustangs advance to the NCAA DII Central Region semifinal round and was named to the Central Region's all-tournament team last weekend.

Division II AVCA National Players of the Year:
2017: Taylor Reiss, Southwest Minnesota State
2016: Annie Wolfe, University of Nebraska at Kearney
2015: Preecy Seever, Rockhurst University
2014: Berkley Whaley, University of Tampa
2013: Kate Lange, University of Minnesota Duluth
2012: Danielle Selkridge, University of Tampa
2011: Samantha Middleborn, Cal State San Bernardino
2010: Samantha Middleborn, Cal State San Bernardino
2009: Maggie McNamara, Concordia-St. Paul
2008: Maggie McNamara, Concordia-St. Paul
2007: Vicky Braegelmann, Minnesota Duluth
2006: Vicky Braegelmann, Minnesota Duluth; Li YiZhi, Lock Haven
2005: Erin Gudmundson, Univ. of Nebraska-Kearney
2004: Brianna Harris, Cal State San Bernardino
2003: Kim Morohunfola, Cal State San Bernardino
2002: Erin Deffenbaugh, Northern Colorado
2001: Shauna Sturm, South Dakota State
2000: Kari Peterson, Augustana (S.D.)
1999: Sarah Butler, West Texas A&M
1998: Melinda Almazan, Regis
1997: Sarah Butler, West Texas A&M
1996: Liu Jun, Northern Michigan
1995: Liu Jun, Northern Michigan
1994: Christy Wieneke, Cal State Bakersfield
1993: Stacey Metro, Northern Michigan
1992: Stacey Metro, Northern Michigan
1991: Ana Cristina Pereira, West Texas A&M
1990: Becky Belland, Central Missouri State
1989: Sheri Benson, UC Riverside
1988: Janet Cobbs, North Dakota State
1987: Angela Brinton, Cal State-Northridge
1986: Annie Kniss, UC Riverside
1985: Lynda Johnson, Portland State