Valpo volleyball senior libero Emma Hickey (Granger, Ind./Penn) added another award to her personal trophy case on Tuesday, as she was honored as an AVCA Honorable Mention All-Midwest Region selection.
 
Hickey was named MVC Libero of the Year and a First Team All-MVC selection this season as she helped the Beacons finish in a tie for second place in the Valley. She ranked 11^th nationally with 5.06 digs/set, reaching double figures in digs in 28 of 30 matches and hitting 20 digs on 14 occasions. A five-time MVC Defensive Player of the Week this season, Hickey committed a career-low 15 serve reception errors in 2025 and chipped in a career-best 1.24 assists/set.
 
The 2025 season capped a remarkable four-year career for Hickey. She closed her career with 2,665 digs, ranking 17^th in NCAA history, fourth in MVC history and third in program history. The active career leader in digs across all divisions, Hickey ranked among the top-15 in the nation in digs/set in each of her four seasons. She earned MVC Defensive Player of the Week accolades nine times in her career, tied for third-most in Valley history.
 
Hickey was one of just two liberos among the 21 athletes recognized from the Midwest Region, joining Purdue's Ryan McAleer. Hickey is the ninth different Valpo player to earn postseason recognition from the AVCA, combining for 14 All-Region or Honorable Mention All-Region selections, and is the first since Rylee Cookerly was an All-Region honoree in the spring of 2021.