KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The accolades continue to pour in for Missouri Baptist University, just the sixth school in NAIA history to repeat as Women's Volleyball national champions. On Thursday, the National Office announced the 2021 NAIA Women's Volleyball All-Americans and specialty award winners with four Spartans receiving recognition.
 
Two centerpieces to the Spartans' remarkable run at back-to-back national titles – Manuela Vargas and Ariana Macies – were honored as the top players at their respective positions with Vargas earning NAIA Setter of the Year and Macies earning NAIA Defender of the Year. The senior standouts become the first national award winners for MBU since current assistant coach Haley Pouliezos (Dyrland) won NAIA Libero of the Year in 2014 and 2015.
 
In addition to All-America First Team honors for Vargas and Macies, opposite hitter Giovanna Tapigliani became a two-time First-Team All-American and middle blocker Raylyn Dodd became a two-time Third-Team All-American.
 
Vargas concludes her career as the 2021 NAIA Setter of the Year and a second All-America First Team designation (2018, 2021). The Medellin, Colombia setter was voted on by coaches as the NAIA National Championship Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the second straight season and earned All-Tournament Team honors for the third time. Leading the country with 12.40 assists per set, Vargas also collected hardware for All-Midwest Region Co-Player of the Year, All-Midwest Region Setter of the Year, AMC Player of the Year and AMC Setter of the Year. Vargas' 12.40 assists per set average is the highest among NAIA setters dating back to 2008 (Kali Angerman – Morningside – 12.50 a/s)
 
After multiple seasons as one of if not the country's top libero, Ariana Macies finally broke through on the All-American list as a First Teamer and capped off her career as the 2021 NAIA Defender of the Year. The Santa Fe, Argentina senior recorded 5.81 digs per set during MBU's championship run and finished the year ranked 14^th in that category. Adding to last week's All-Midwest Region Defender of the Year and First Team honors, Macies leaves her mark on the program as a two-time AMC Defensive Player of the Year, two-time NAIA Defender of the Week, and 10-time AMC Defender of the Week.
 
With a career year totaling a team-best 432 kills, a .353 hitting %, 198 digs, 87 blocks, and team-best 39 service aces, Giovanna Tapigliani becomes just the fourth Spartan all-time to receive All-America First Team recognition two years in a row. A surefire Spartan Hall of Fame candidate, Tapigliani adds the All-American award to her robust resume that includes back-to-back NAIA All-Tournament Team honors, 2020-21 CoSIDA Academic All-America Team Member of the Year, 2020-21 AMC Player of the Year among other awards. The São Paulo, Brazil opposite hitter finished the season ranked in the NAIA's Top 20 in points per set (8^th), kills per set (12^th), and hitting percentage (19^th).
 
Middle blocker Raylyn Dodd joins an elite group of Spartans who have doubled down as two-time NAIA All-Americans. For the second straight season, the Fredericktown, Mo. senior received All-America Third Team, and All-Region and All-AMC First Team honors. Dodd finished the year ranked third in hitting percentage (.405%) and 15^th in the NAIA in blocks per set (1.21 b/s). She will also end her career in navy and white as the MBU and NAIA Tournament record holder for most blocks in a single match with 15 in the 2020 NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship Final versus Midland (Neb.).