LEXINGTON, Ky. — BYU women's volleyball setter Whitney Bower and outside hitter Erin Livingston were both named American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America honorable mentions, the organization announced on Wednesday morning.
Both Bower and Livingston received AVCA Southwest All-Region and All-Big 12 First Team honors after helping BYU to its 12th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and a third-place finish in the Cougars' inaugural season in the Big 12 Conference this year.
Named an AVCA honorable mention for the third time in her five-year career, Bower led BYU with 980 assists this season as she became the program’s rally scoring era assists leader, dishing out 4,583 total assists. The senior setter recorded 139 kills, hitting .355, 245 digs, 70 total blocks and a team-high 34 service aces as well.
Bower also led the team with seven double-doubles on the year, finishing with double-digit assists in all 32 matches. She led the team in either aces or digs in six matches. Bower concludes her Cougar career with the second-most sets played (464) and third-most digs (1,230) in the rally scoring era at BYU.
Earning her second-straight AVCA All-America honorable mention after leading the Cougars with 456 kills on the season, Livingston posted double-digit kills in 28 of the 32 matches, including the final 13 matches of the year. The senior outside hitter averaged 4.3 kills per set, which ranks No. 21 nationally.
Livingston hit .285 in 2023, and also tallied 142 digs, 48 total blocks and 28 service aces, fourth most on the team. She led the team in kills in 26 matches and also led the team in aces in four matches. Livingston was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week three times this season.
This is the 13th-consecutive season that at least one BYU women’s volleyball student-athlete has received an All-America citation. The Cougars have had 38 different athletes earn 112 citations in program history.
Bower was drafted by the Pro Volleyball Federation’s Atlanta Vibe in the league’s inaugural draft on Monday and will turn pro after completing her historic career. An unanimous pick to both the preseason and All-Big 12 First Team, Livingston will return to BYU with a final season of eligibility in 2024.
View the full list of All-American honorees at the AVCA website.