LEXINGTON, KY - A trio of Blue Jays were named AVCA All-Americans it was announced earlier today. Natalie Aston, Eleni Panagopoulos and Sydney Portale are all repeat selections by the AVCA after a 31-1 season for Johns Hopkins. 

This is the third AVCA All-America honor of Aston's career and her second first team selection. Last week, Aston was named AVCA Region 5 Player of the Year for the second time after captaining the Blue Jay offense once again. Aston is also a two-time Centennial Conference Player of the Year selection. In 32 games this season, Aston dished out 1,030 assists (10.51/set). Offensively, Aston also chipped in with 84 kills on a .369 hitting percentage and a team-best 63 service aces. Defensively, she added a team-best 85 total blocks and 215 digs. 

After earning Honorable Mention All-America honors in 2019, Panagopoulos was named an AVCA Second Team All-American in 2021. The senior moved back inside to her natural middle blocker position and was extraordinarily efficient on the offensive end, giving the Jays 166 kills while hitting .397. On the defensive side, Panagopoulos tied for second on the team with 66 total blocks and altered countless more swings. 

For Portale, she repeats as an All-American after earning first team honors in 2019 at Susquehanna. The graduate transfer stepped nicely into the opposite role for Hopkins in 2021, leading the team with 229 kills. The southpaw hit an impressive .282 and added seven aces in limited serving opportunities. Defensively, she contributed strongly to the block, adding 44 total blocks and mixing in 49 digs as a mostly front-row player in 2021. 

The Jays now have 18 All-American honors in program history with eight of the 18 selections coming from players on the 2021 team.