LA MIRADA, Calif. --- For any team to make as deep a run into postseason competition as Biola volleyball did this season, it takes contributions from plenty of players, but it also takes extraordinary efforts by a few members of the team.
 
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) recognized the extraordinary efforts of the Eagles' Amy Weststeyn, Gracee Gallarda, Chelsee Arnitz and Joclyn Kirton in naming them AVCA NAIA All-Americans.
 
Gracee Gallarda took home her second consecutive All-American honor, getting named to the first team this season and the second team last season. She is one of just two setters in the NAIA to be named to the All-American first team.
 
She had a phenomenal senior season, collecting 1,042 assists and 28 service aces. It is her second consecutive season with 1,000-plus assists, 25-plus service aces and 200-plus digs (219).
 
"Gracee is the kid who has gotten more out of her body than anyone else," said Head Coach Aaron Seltzer. "She is far from the biggest, but she can lift as much and run as fast as anybody. She is one of the best leaders I have ever had. I could be yelling, even screaming at her and she'd still be smiling."
 
A characteristic that fails to go unnoticed by Gallarda's competition and other coaches. Seltzer recalled a time when another prominent coach alluded to the senior setter's never-fading smile.
 
Gallarda wrapped up her senior year in style, putting in a commanding performance at the 2013 NAIA Volleyball National Championship. She averaged an astounding 12.75 assists per set in the Eagles' five tournament games, clearly the strongest setting performance of the national qualifiers.
 
She turned in a fantastic performance in Biola's 3-0 sweep over No. 2 Concordia in the national semifinals, picking up 36 assists and even adding four block assists. Proof of her leadership abilities came in what she told Seltzer prior to that game.
 
"Coach, don't worry," said Gallarda. "There is no way we are going to lose to them a third time."
 
Gallarda finishes her four-year career tied for fourth on Biola's all-time list in matches played, fifth in assists (3,617), sixth in assists per set (7.91), seventh in sets played (457) and even 14^th in digs (1,014).
 
Arnitz is the other senior to earn an All-American nod. It is also her second honor with Biola, as she was also named to the second team last season.
 
A fantastic performance at the national tournament boosted Arnitz up to the first team this season after she tacked on 69 kills in those six matches.
 
"My only regret with Chelsee is that we only got to have her for three seasons," said Seltzer. "But it was clearly God's plan, because we definitely needed her these three seasons."
 
The senior middle blocker accumulated a career-high 267 kills this season and hit at a .378 clip, the 10^th highest single-season mark in Biola history. She hit .332 overall in her three seasons since transferring in from UC Riverside, the seventh best average at BU all-time. The weapon that allowed her to quickly ascend up the Biola volleyball ranks was her ability off the slide.
 
"No one in this country runs a slide better than Chelsee, and any coach will agree with that," said Seltzer. "We rode that this season like the lone ranger rides his horse."
 
Arnitz also ranks in the top-20 all-time in kills per set (2.27) and block assists (178). Despite missing out on one full year, the senior middle blocker accumulated the 22^nd most kill in Biola history, 752. Arnitz was also named to the NAIA All-Tournament team this season, along with Weststeyn.
 
Amy Weststeyn has long been regarded as one of the top five to ten players in the NAIA, and this season she reinforced that with her third consecutive All-American honor. She can add this year and last year's first team nods to her second team honor received her freshman season.
 
What makes Weststeyn special is her unique mix of ability on the court, off the court and in the classroom. Not only can she hit, block and serve the ball with the best in the country, but she is a top-notch practical joker and a superior student.
 
"Amy is pretty much regarded as one of the best middles in the country and she has worked really, really, really hard to get there after coming in with a lot less experience than other players," said Seltzer. "She has excelled a ton and on a really steep learning curve. She is also definitely in the middle of all the fun on the team by keeping a great connection with all her teammates."
 
Weststeyn hit .409 this season to earn the fifth-best single-season mark in program history, and she also ranked in the top-20 in blocks per set (1.19), points per set (4.36) and total blocks (119).
 
She earned this award as well as a Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-American nod and Golden State Athletic Conference player of the year honors.
 
Kirton is one of the most improved players on the squad in 2013-14. She was already a solid performer during her freshman season last year, but improved leaps and bounds to lead the team in kills through the regular season and wrap up her first career All-GSAC honors and now All-American third team recognition.
 
Kirton boast a powerful swing from the left outside hitter spot that served as a nice complement to Biola's two big middles and fellow outside hitter, Alyssa Mason. She finished the season with 310 kills, nearly double what she got last season, and she also wrapped up 48 total blocks.
 
"We were not surprised by her (Kirton) progress this season. We always saw her potential, knowing she was a middle for most of her life before moving outside for us," said Seltzer. "She has a cannon for an arm, but we were surprised by just how quick her progression was. She had an outstanding finals, and earning this as a sophomore really says something."
 
The three All-American first team honors is an all-time high for Biola volleyball, which began in 1968.
 
A full list of AVCA NAIA Volleyball All-Americans can be found here.