NASHVILLE – Former Tennessee State volleyball standout Gina Rivera-Ortiz was named one of the Ohio Valley Conference's best players in league history as she earned a spot on the 75^th Anniversary Team.
 
"As part of the celebration of the storied accomplishments of the League, a Committee working in conjunction with current and former schools captured the "best-of-the-best" in each sport and celebrate the top athletes in league history with 75th Anniversary Teams across all OVC sports."
 
Rivera-Ortiz played for the Tigers from 2018-2022 and helped her team win their first-ever OVC Tournament Title this past season and a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
 
The Puerto Rico native played in 135 matches during her five-year career and broke numerous records along the way. She broke the OVC career record for digs with 2,640, while also setting the OVC single-season dig record with 745, making her most one of the lethal defenders in the league's history.
 
She was named OVC Player of the Week seven times in her career and finished as a First Team All-OVC Selection in 2021 and 2022. She earned second-team honors in 2020.
 
While her play on the court was always top-notch, Rivera-Ortiz was also perfect in the classroom as she logged a 4.0 GPA as a Health Science Major. This past season, she was named a First Team Academic All-American by College Sports Communicators.

"The 2022-23 academic year marked the 75th anniversary of the Ohio Valley Conference, which began in 1948 and currently ranks as the eighth-oldest Division I Conference."