CHARLOTTE, N.C.- Florida SouthWestern sophomore Barbara Koehler put a bow on top of a two week stretch of incredible honors on Friday by earning the ultimate award for an NJCAA player as the Mato Grosso, Brazil native was named the NJCAA Division I National Player of the Year.
Koehler led the Bucs to their first National Championship in program history this season, averaging 3.74 kills per set while hitting .324 on the year. Her 3.74 kills per set set a new FSW single season record and ranked in the Top 10 Nationally while her .324 hitting percentage was best of any hitter averaging 3.50 or more kills per set on the season. She was a weapon at the service line, dialing up 45 aces to lead the Bucs while also registering 2.68 digs and 0.48 blocks per set on the defensive side of the net. Steady as an Ox, Koehler had 10 or more kills in 21 of 26 games played this season including all four contests at the NJCAA National Tournament in which she was named the National Tournament MVP for the Champion Bucs.
FSW Head Coach Thais Baziquetto-Allen said of Koehler's impact on the Bucs this season "Barbara embodies everything we strive for our student-athletes to have in our program. She is a great student, a dedicated and talented athlete, and is fantastic with our fans and our community. We are so proud of her. She came to our program as a good player a year ago and worked extremely hard in training, in the weight room, and in preparation to become the great player that she is today. She showcased her leadership skills through a difficult year for our program with the long-lasting effects of the devastating Hurricane on our area and constantly showed the quality of person that she is in the process. I am so happy for her earning this award and am blessed to have been able to coach her the past two seasons."
Koehler finishes her FSW career as the Bucs all-time leader with 590 kills and 78 aces while ranking 4th in digs with 462 and 5th in blocks with 101. In her two seasons with the Bucs, Koehler led FSW to a 52-6 overall record, back to back Suncoast Conference Championships with a 29-1 record and their first FCSAA State and NJCAA National Championships in program history.
Koehler joins Head Coach Thais Baziquetto-Allen in NJCAA superlative winners this season after Baziquetto-Allen was named the NJCAA Division I National Coach of the Year earlier on Friday.