Completed Event: Volleyball at Houston on October 25, 2026 , Loss , 1, to, 3
Final
Volleyball
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Houston
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Iowa State University Athletics
11.13.2026 | Volleyball
AMES, Iowa – Rachel Van Gorp has put her name among the best players in the nation earning the title of AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist. Van Gorp is the first in Iowa State history to be named a semifinalist.
Van Gorp is one of 14 to make the list, and one of two liberos. The court defender leads all Power 4 players averaging 4.73 digs per set this season.
‼️ AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist ‼️ https://t.co/RTk2OxspR9
— Iowa State Volleyball (@CycloneVB) November 13, 2026
The Olathe, Kan. native has had eight 20-plus dig matches this season, including a season-high 30. In two of those matches, Van Gorp hit 20 through the first three sets. Van Gorp has totaled 430 digs, 104 assists, 27 aces and a libero kill this season. The libero also holds a reception percentage of .988 on 433 receptions.
Earlier this season against UCLA, Van Gorp hit 1,000 career digs, becoming the 19th Cyclone to cross the barrier. The libero's late mother Janice Ninemire was the second in ISU history to hit the mark. Van Gorp is 29 digs away from entering the ISU top 10 currently holding 1,309, and ranks seventh in the program with 73 10-plus dig matches and 21 20-plus dig matches.
Van Gorp has racked up conference awards this season, earning Big 12 In-Season Challenge Libero of the Month and has been named the Big 12 Defensive POTW four times this season. Van Gorp continues to be the one and only libero to earn multiple defensive honors this season. The libero has earned six total, while just four other Cyclones have earned as many.
The reigning AVCA Libero of the Year and Big 12 Libero of the Year was named to the AVCA Player of the Year Preseason Watch List in July, and was the only libero named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team.
The four AVCA Player of the Year finalists will be named on Monday, Dec. 14, while the winner will be announced Friday, Dec. 18 at the AVCA Convention.
2026 AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalists
Ksenia Rakhmanchik, Baylor, OH
Rachel Van Gorp, Iowa State, L
Brooklyn DeLeye, Kentucky, OH
Molly Tuozzo, Kentucky, L
Nayelis Cabello, Louisville, S
Chloe Chicoine, Louisville, OH
Andi Jackson, Nebraska, MB
Harper Murray, Nebraska, OH
Bergen Reilly, Nebraska, S
Kennedy Martin, Penn State, RS
Olivia Babcock, Pitt, RS
Izzy Starck, Pitt, S
Favor Anyanwu, SMU, MB
Kyndal Stowers, Texas A&M, OH
Players Mentioned
L
/ VolleyballMonday, November 09
Thursday, November 05
Monday, November 02
Sunday, November 01
