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College Volleyball Player Awards: AVCA All-West Region Team Volleyball Awards and Honors

PESTOLESI, PIGGOTT NAMED AVCA All-WEST REGION HONORABLE MENTION

 

IRVINE, Calif. --- Juniors Kari Pestolesi (Huntington Beach/Edison HS) and Juliane Piggott (Newport Beach/UCLA) were named American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) West Region honorable mention. The honor is third for Pestolesi while Piggott earns her first accolade from the AVCA.

 

Pestolesi, a three-time All-Big West first-team performer, is 68^th in the nation in kills with a 3.87 average. The outside hitter also is ranked 53^rd in points per set (4.47) and 77^th in aces at 0.36. She topped the team in kills with 437, aces with 41 and was second in digs with 442 to post the sixth-best mark in the UCI season record books. Pestolesi, an AVCA National Player of the Week, accumulated 23 double-double (kills/digs) matches this season for the Anteaters. She had a season-high 23 kills twice this season and picked up a season-best 26 digs in her lone stint as the team’s libero in a sweep against Seattle University. She finished the season ranked fourth in the Big West in kills, third in aces and sixth in digs.

 

Piggott, a transfer from UCLA, also earned All-Big West first-team honors this season. The outside hitter was 10^th in the Big West in kill average at 3.15 and totaled 353. She also was fourth in aces with 26 and digs with 198 while totaling 52 blocks for UCI. Piggott had six double-double (kills/digs) matches for the Anteaters and recorded a career-high 27 kills in the Big West Conference title match against Long Beach State. She also totaled a career-best 16 digs twice this year and put up a personal-best five block assists against UC Davis.

 

UC Irvine finished the season 22-8, reaching 20 wins for the fifth time. The eight losses are the fewest for UCI since 1978 while the win-loss percentage of .733 is the best in program history. The Anteaters also recorded an 11-5 Big West mark to tie for second in the conference.

 

Seven Big West Players Receive AVCA All-Region Recognition

Irvine, Calif. - The Big West Conference earned seven spots on the 2009 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-West Region team, including AVCA Region Freshman of the
Year Kayla Neto (Cal State Fullerton). Making the All-West Region team is a UC Santa Barbara duo consisting of 2009 Big West Player of the Year Rebecca Saraceno and Dana Vargas,
along with Long Beach State’s Naomi Washington who is making her second appearance on the distinguished list. Neto, Kari Pestolesi (UC Irvine), Caitlin Ledoux (Long Beach State) and
Juliane Piggot (UC Irvine) were selected to the honorable mention team.

Saraceno led the Big West Conference and ranks among the top 20 in the country in kills, averaging 4.45 per set. The Redondo Beach, Calif., native was also one of the best in the
league in service aces in 2009 with a seventh place ranking (0.28 p/s). Earlier this season she became just the sixth player in conference history to garner four or more weekly accolades
in one season. Her second award of the year also earned her AVCA National Player of the Week honors, which followed a career-high 29 kills that tied for third all-time in school history under the rally-scoring format.

Saraceno, along with 49er setter, Vargas, assisted in the Gauchos’ successful season that showcased a 20-plus win season and their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since
2006. Vargas averaged 10.90 assists per set to rank second in the Big West Conference and contributed to the accomplishments of Saraceno and Stacey Schmidt, who sits third in
the league with a .330 hitting percentage.

Washington eclipsed the 1,000-career kill mark this season and guided Long Beach State to its 10th Big West Championship and 23rd consecutive, 24th overall, NCAA Tournament. The
outside hitter from New Orleans, La., finished the 2009 season ranked third in the Big West in kills with a 4.14 average. Washington, who led Long Beach State in kills (464) and ranked third in blocks (66), collected two Big West Player of the Week accolades over the course of the year.

After becoming the first Titan in 29 years to collect Big West Freshman of the Year honors, Neto has now added AVCA All-West Region Freshman of the Year and Honorable Mention
accolades to her resume. Hailing from Clarksburg, Calif., Neto ranked fifth in the Big West in hitting percentage with a .319 clip. Her numbers are even more impressive when you look
at conference-only contests, where she topped the charts with a .374 hitting percentage and placed sixth with a 3.60 kill average. Neto was also a two-time Big West Player of the Week
recipient and the only freshman to receive a weekly nod this season, accumulating accolades on Oct. 5 and Nov. 9.

Pestolesi is ranked among the Big West leaders in aces (3rd), kills (4th), and digs (6th) and tops the Anteaters with 437 kills on the season and is averaging 3.87 per set. She is also the
team leader in aces with 41 and is second with 442 digs. The junior standout was voted AVCA National Player of the Week earlier this season after helping the Anteaters upset then-No.
6 California. This season, she has collected three tournament MVP honors and dots both the UCI career and season records. Pestolesi has accumulated 22 double-double matches
(kills/digs) with a season-best 23 kills against UConn and 26 digs against Seattle.

She is joined on the honorable mention team by teammate Piggot, an outside hitter who ranks 10th in the Big West in kill average at 3.15 and boasts a 3.53 per-set average in Big West
contests. The junior transfer posted a career-high 27 kills in the Big West title match against Long Beach State and picked up a season-high 16 digs twice against UC Davis and UC
Santa Barbara. She recorded six double-double matches this season and reached 20 or more digs twice.

Ledoux rounds out the Big West quartet that received an honorable mention nod. The 2008 Big West Freshman of the Year and 2009 All-Big West First Team member ended the season
ranked sixth in the league with a 3.58 kill average. A record-setting performance late in the year earned Ledoux a Big West Player of the Week award. She tied former 49er Tara Cross
for the sixth-most kills in a single match in Long Beach State history with 33. Her 33 kills were the most for any Long Beach State player since Tayyiba Haneef in 2000, and Ledoux was
just the third player in school history to reach 33 kills, joining Haneef and Cross (five times) at that number

Three Frogs Earn AVCA All-West Region Honors
Hudson, Edwards and Munce honored.

FORT WORTH, Texas – A trio of TCU Horned Frog volleyball players earned AVCA All-West Region honors, it was announced Wednesday. Kourtney Edwards, Christy Hudson and Megan Munce are the first Frogs to earn All-Region honors in the program’s history.

Edwards wrapped up a spectacular four-year career at TCU, leaving the program as the all-time blocks leader with 525 for an average of 1.10 per set. Her career .338 attack percentage also ranks first all-time.

In her final campaign at TCU, Edwards averaged 3.24 kills per set and led the league with a .373 attack percentage, which ranks 18th nationally. For the third straight season, she paced the team in blocks with 127 total blocks for an average of 1.03 per set. Edwards was named All-Mountain West Conference and earned MWC Player of the Week honors five times.

A junior, Hudson is a two-time All-Mountain West Conference selection. She put together another solid campaign in 2009, ranking second on the squad with an average of 2.44 kills per set and hitting .297. Her 85 blocks ranked third on the team as did her 62 assists. She was honored as MWC Player of the Week on Nov. 30.

Just a sophomore, Munce was named MWC Setter of the Year after averaging 9.94 assists per set. She also led the league with 53 service aces, an average of 0.42 per set. Munce racked up 314 digs, a total that ranked second on the team, and averaged 2.51 digs per set.

TCU is just one of 15 schools in the nation to garner three All-Region team members.

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Senior outside hitter Naomi Washington was named first-team All-Region by the American Volleyball Coaches Association for the second consecutive year after another outstanding campaign. Sophomore Caitlin Ledoux was also recognized as an honorable mention selection.

 

                Washington led Long Beach State with 464 kills in 2009, averaging 4.14 per set, a pace that was third in the Big West. She hit .269 over the year and was the leading offensive threat for the Big West Champion 49ers. Ledoux was just behind Washington with 415 kills and a 3.58 kill per set average, sixth in the Big West. She also added 318 digs and 22 aces over the season for the 49ers.

 

                The AVCA splits all Division I schools into eight regions, with Long Beach State as part of the West Region, along with the rest of the Big West, Mountain West and Western Athletic conferences. 14 players earn first-team All-Region honors, while six players receive an honorable mention.

 

                First-team All-Region selections remain eligible to be named All-America, consisting of 14 first, second and third team members along with honorable mentions. That announcement will be made by the AVCA on Wednesday, December 16.

Hadfield Named AVCA West Region Honorable Mention

Lobo junior picks up another post-season honor

 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. --- Junior Taylor Hadfield was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-West Region Team today.  The right-side hitter from Corte Madera, Calif., received honorable mention.  It is the second year in a row that a Lobo volleyball player has made the all-region team (Jeanne Fairchild, 2008) and the 13^th regional honor for a Lobo player.

 

Said Hadfield, “That’s so cool! What a great honor!  This is a great accomplishment because of the hard work and support of my teammates.  I do not get any of these individual honors by myself.”

 

Hadfield was one of three Lobos to earn All-Mountain West Conference honors in late November. She led the Lobos in kills per set for the majority of the season, finishing the year with 2.63.  A primary front row player for UNM, Hadfield improved her single-match career marks throughout the season.  She had a career-high 21 kills against Colorado State on Oct. 24, passing her previous mark of 16 against Utah on Oct. 10 and Pittsburgh on Sept. 12.

 

New Mexico finished the season 20-10 and in third place in the Mountain West Conference with a league record of 10-6.  UNM also made its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1994.

 

Lobo All-Region Honorees

1990 – Pauline Manser (1^st team); Maria Gurreri (2^nd team); Sharon Browning (2^nd team); Laurel Brassey (Coach of the Year)

1991 – Sharon Browning (1^st team); Pauline Manser (1^st team)

1992 – Sharon Browning (1^st team)

1993 – Tania Gooley (1^st team); Laurel Luman (1^st team)

1994 – Tania Gooley (2^nd team); Robyn Wentworth (2^nd team)

1995 – Alicia Bergmann (1^st team)

2008 – Jeanne Fairchild (1^st team)

2009 – Taylor Hadfield (honorable mention)

 

2009 AVCA All-West Region

Katelin Batten, Colorado State University, DS/Lib., Sr.

Aneli Cubi-Otineru, University of Hawai'i, OH, Sr.

Kanani Danielson, University of Hawai'i, OH, So.

Jennah Devries, New Mexico State University, S, So.

Kourtney Edwards, Texas Christian University, MB, Sr.

Christy Hudson, Texas Christian University, RS/Opp., Jr.

Amber Kauffman, University of Hawai'i, MB, Sr.

Dani Mafua, University of Hawai'i, S, Jr.

Danielle Minch, Colorado State University, OH, Jr.

Megan Munce, Texas Christian University, S, So.

Megan Plourde, Colorado State University, MB, Fr.

Rebecca Saraceno, Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, OH, Sr.

Dana Vargas, Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, S, Jr.

Naomi Washington, Long Beach State University, OH, Sr.

 

Region Freshman of the Year: Kayla Neto, Cal State Fullerton, MB

 

Honorable Mention: 

Kari Pestolesi (UC Irvine, OH, Jr.), 

Karolina Bartkowiak (Utah, RS/Opp. , Jr.), 

Kayla Neto (Cal State Fullerton, MB, Fr.),

Caitlin Ledoux (Long Beach State, OH, So.), 

Juliane Piggot (UC Irvine, OH,Jr.), 

Taylor Hadfield (New Mexico, RS/Opp., Jr.)

 

Bartkowiak Earns AVCA West Region Honorable Mention Recognition

Junior opposite hitter had 12 double-doubles this season.

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah junior opposite hitter Karolina Bartkowiak earned Honorable Mention All-West Region recognition, it was announced Wednesday by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).

 

 

This was the first All-West region honor of Bartkowiak’s career. She earned her second straight All-Mountain West Conference selection in 2009 and finished sixth in the MWC’s overall statistics with 3.04 kills and 3.59 points per set. In 16 conference matches, Bartkowiak was fifth in the conference-only statistics with 3.17 kills and 3.70 points per set. Bartkowiak posted 12 double-doubles this season, the first of career, and led Utah in kills 15 times, blocks three times and digs once.

 

Bartkowiak served as a team tri-captain and earned 2009 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII First-Team accolades. She was also named the MWC Player of the Week three times: Aug. 31, Sept. 28 and Oct. 12.

 

The Aurora, Ill., native was named MVP of the Utah Classic and was selected to Santa Clara Invitational All-Tournament team. She hit a career-high 22 kills and had 17 digs against BYU on Sept. 25 and had a career-high 23 digs against TCU on Oct. 8. She hit for a career-high .800 hitting percentage and tied her season high with six blocks against Weber State on Oct. 6.

 

College Volleyball Player Awards: AVCA All-South Region Team Volleyball Awards and Honors

Volleyball’s Flory Garners AVCA South Region Coach of the Year

LEXINGTON, Ky. – LSU volleyball head coach Fran Flory picked up AVCA South Region Coach of the Year honors Wednesday as announced by the governing body of collegiate body.

It marked the second time in her career that Flory, the 2009 SEC Coach of the Year, has earned this prestigious honor. She won the same award as Kentucky head coach in 1993. Former LSU coach Scott Luster also was named AVCA Region Coach of the Year in 1988. 

Flory is one of eight finalists who will represent their region on the 2009 AVCA National Coach of the Year ballot. That award will be presented at the 2009 jostens Coaches Honors Luncheon at the AVCA Annual Convention prior to Final Four in Tampa. 

LSU racked up an impressive 25-7 record in 2009 en route to the program’s first SEC regular season title since 1991. The defending five-time SEC Western Division champions also made a program-record fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance under Flory. 

AVCA Northeast Region – Debbie Brown [Notre Dame]
AVCA Pacific Region – Rob Browning [St. Mary’s]
AVCA South Region – Fran Flory [LSU]
AVCA Central Region – Christy Johnson [Iowa State]
AVCA Midwest Region – Rick Nold [Jacksonville State]
AVCA East Region – Chris Poole [Florida State]
AVCA Mideast Region – Russ Rose [Penn State]
AVCA West Region – Dave Shoji [Hawai`i]

Denver University Volleyball’s Emmy Davidsmeyer Earns Postseason Award

Davidsmeyer named All-South Region Honorable Mention; second Pioneer in program history to earn such honor

 

LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Denver volleyball senior Emmy Davidsmeyer (Colorado Springs, Colo.) was tabbed an All-South Region Honorable Mention selection, it was announced today by American Volleyball Coaches Association.

 

Davidsmeyer becomes just the second Pioneer in program history to earn such an award as Kim Muller earned it during her time with at Denver from 2004-07.

 

At the conclusion of her four-year career at Denver, Davidsmeyer finished ranked first all-time in attack percentage (.321), eighth in kills (1,114), eighth in kills per set (2.99) and ninth in block assists (260). The right-side hitter played in 105 matches and 373 sets for Denver, recording 2,358 career attack attempts, 128 assists, 62 service aces, 428 digs and 270 total blocks resulting in 1,216 total points.

 

During her final season, Davidsmeyer was honored by the league as a First-Team selection and was named the Player of the Week on two different occasions. She led the Pioneers in kills (522), kills per set (4.21), hitting percentage (.343), blocks (116) and points (596.0) and also finished the season ranked 26th in points per set (4.81) and 31st in kills per set (4.21) and 64th in hitting percentage (.343) among 250 student-athletes in the NCAA

 

Volleyball Trio Earns AVCA All-South Region Honors

 

LEXINGTON, Ky. – LSU middle blocker Brittnee Cooper and outside hitter Marina Skender notched AVCA All-South Region First-Team accolades, while LSU setter Sam Dabbs tallied AVCA All-South Honorable Mention status Wednesday as announced by the governing body of collegiate volleyball.

 

Cooper and Skender are now eligible to become AVCA All-Americans, which will be announced next week in Tampa prior to the start of Final Four weekend. It marks the third consecutive season that LSU has had two AVCA All-South Region First-Team selections as Cooper joined Elena Martinez in 2008. Martinez and Lauren DeGirolamo represented LSU in 2007.

 

Cooper also became the fifth Tiger to pick up multiple AVCA All-South Region First-Team honors. The elite company includes Monique Adams (1990 & 1991), Angie Miller (1990 & 1991), Daniela Reis (1990, 1991 & 1992) and Elena Martinez (2007 & 2008).

 

“We’re excited and certainly proud for one of the most decorated senior classes in our program history,” head coach Fran Flory said. “There’s no doubt they have left their mark at LSU. Brittnee, Sam and Marina are not only wonderful volleyball players on the court but model student-athletes away from the court.”

 

Cooper, the 2009 SEC Player of the Year, garnered an impressive .409 hitting percentage, which is a program single-season record in addition to ranking No. 6 nationally. She knocked double-digit kills on 23 times highlighted by a career-best 28 spikes against Texas A&M in the NCAA Tournament Second Round.

 

Cooper also racked up 1.37 blocks per set to pace the SEC and rank No. 18 in the nation. She tallied at least five blocks on 15 occasions and finished fifth on the program’s all-time list with 495 total stuffs.  

 

Skender, a 2009 All-SEC First-Team pick, powered home double-figure kills in 27 of 32 matches and added a team-best 13 double-doubles. Her 3.90 kills per set in league matches ranked fourth, while her 0.26 aces per set overall are seventh in the SEC. The Croatia native ripped a season-best 20 kills and reeled in 15 digs during LSU’s historic win at No. 10 Florida.

 

Skender is one of only five players in program history to reach over 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs. She finished her career with 1,500 kills and 1,273 digs to rank fifth and sixth, respectively.

 

Dabbs, a 2009 All-SEC First-Team honoree, passed out 11.33 assists per set, good enough for second in the SEC and 18th in the nation. She set LSU to over a .300 hitting percentage on 14 occasions and tallied 12 double-doubles sparked by a career-best 64 helpers to go along with 11 digs against Texas A&M in the NCAA Tournament Second Round.

 

In only two seasons with the Tigers, Dabbs distributed 2,025 assists to rank seventh on the program’s all-time list. 

 

LSU racked up an impressive 25-7 record in 2009 en route to the program’s first SEC regular season title since 1991. The defending five-time SEC Western Division champions also made a program-record fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance under Flory. 

 

Below are the AVCA All-South Region awards. Cooper and Skender are joined by seven other SEC players representing Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee to make up the 14-player AVCA All-South Region First Team.

 

AVCA All-South Region First Team

Player                                   School                                  Position               Class

Brittnee Cooper               LSU                                        MB                         Sr.

Elyse Cusack                      Florida                                  DS/Lib.                  Sr.

Nikki Fowler                       Tennessee                          RS/Opp.               Jr.

Chloe Goldman                 Tennessee                          DS/Lib.                  Sr.

Alex Kelly                            Lipscomb                             MB                         Jr.

Sarah Mendoza                Kentucky                             OH                          Jr.

Kelly Murphy                    Florida                                  S/Opp                   So.

Stacy Oladinni                    Middle Tennessee          RS/Opp                So.

Stefine Pease                    Lipscomb                             S                              Jr.

Yarimar Rosa                     Florida International       OH                          Sr.

Sarah Rumely                   Kentucky                             S                              Sr.

Marina Skender               LSU                                        OH                         Sr.

BriAnne Sauer                   Kentucky                             DS/Lib.                  Sr.

Natalia Valentin                Florida International       S                              Jr.

 

Region Freshman of the Year: Jasmine Norton, OH (Arkansas)

 

Honorable Mention: Jovana Bjelica (Florida International, OH, Fr.), Sam Dabbs (LSU, S, Sr.), Emmy Davidsmeyer (Denver , MB, Sr.), Cole Dawley (Charleston, S, Jr.), Jasmine Norton (Arkansas, OH, Fr.), Lauren Rapp (Kentucky, RS/Opp., Jr.)

 

Program-High Three Panthers Named All-South Region

Rosa, Valentin, Bjelica earn regional recognition

 

 

MIAMI – Three Panthers were named to the AVCA Division I All-South Region Team on Wednesday, as senior Yarimar Rosa, junior Natalia Valentin and freshman Jovana Bjelica became the first trio in FIU volleyball history to be honored on an AVCA All-Region squad.

 

Prior to this year, Rosa was the only volleyball player in FIU history to receive all-region recognition as the 2009 honor marks the fourth of her career. Rosa ends her career as FIU’s all-time leader in career kills (2,083) and career digs (1,053) and is coming off a senior campaign in which she led FIU in kills (382, 4.60 kps), despite missing 11 matches due to injuries. The Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, native earned Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Player of the Week accolades on four occasions in 2009 and a league-record 13 times over her career. She has also been a first team all-conference selection in each of her four years, while earning SBC Freshman of the Year and AVCA South Region Freshman of the Year honors in 2006, and SBC Player of the Year accolades in 2008 and 2009. Also in 2008, Rosa was tabbed SBC Female Student-Athlete of the Year, as she earned her third AVCA All-America (HM) citation after leading the nation in kills per set.

 

Valentin enjoys her first career All-South Region selection in 2009, as she was largely responsible for setting up an FIU offense which consistently ranked in the top 15 in the country in kills per set and assists per set this season. Valentin ended the Sun Belt Conference regular season ranked first in the assists per set category and she currently ranks eighth in the nation with a final season average of 11.87 assists per set. The Caguas, Puerto Rico, native registered 1,448 assists over her junior campaign, a total which marks an FIU all-time single-season record, and she now owns 3,143 career assists to rank third on the all-time charts. Valentin received first team All-SBC accolades in 2009 and was named to the second team in 2008.

 

Bjelica earned an honorable mention all-region nod, as she has enjoyed a stellar freshman campaign, registering 10 double-doubles (kills-digs) and reaching double-digits in kills in 20 of 32 matches played. The outside hitter ranked second on the team in service aces (25) and third in kills (344), digs (249) and total blocks (57), and, iIn the final Sun Belt Conference regular season statistics, Bjelica was the only freshman ranked in the top 10 in two categories, ranking sixth in kills per set (3.41) and seventh in points per set (3.96. A native of Belgrade, Serbia, Bjelica was named the SBC Freshman of the Year and was also a second-team all-league honoree.

 

FIU ended the 2009 season with an overall record of 32-4, as the 32 wins mark a school record. Heading into tournament play, FIU was one of three schools in the country to have won 30 or more matches along with Penn State (32) and Northern Iowa (30). The Panthers won their second straight Sun Belt Conference Regular Season Championship in 2009 and put together a 23-match win streak, which, at the time, was the fourth-longest such streak in the country.

 

 

 

FOWLER, GOLDMAN CLAIM AVCA ALL-SOUTH REGION ACCOLADES

Duo Will Advance to Ballot for National AVCA Awards

 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After helping the University of Tennessee volleyball team reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in school history, senior Chloe Goldman and junior Nikki Fowler were both rewarded for their terrific seasons, being named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-South Region Team on Wednesday.

 

The award marks the second time in her career that Fowler has picked up the honors, while Goldman takes home all-region accolades for the first time after earning honorable mention status last season. They will both advance to the ballot for national AVCA awards, which will be announced next week in conjunction with the 2009 NCAA Volleyball Championships in Tampa, Fla.

 

The 2009 Southeastern Conference Libero of the Year and All-SEC First Team member, Goldman shattered the Tennessee record for career digs, finishing with a total of 1,755 to break the previous record by 281 and place her fourth in the conference record book. She also finishes with the top digs per set average in program history with 4.37 scoops per set during her four years at Rocky Top.

 

The Monterey, Calif., native led the SEC in 2009 with 568 digs and 4.73 digs per set, becoming the first player to record three consecutive seasons with 500+ digs while donning the Orange and White. Goldman also holds the three highest single-season dig totals in school history with her 2009 tally ranking second behind only her 628 scoops in 2007.

 

A 6-2 outside hitter, Fowler was Tennessee’s best all-around player this season, finishing the year with 16 consecutive double-doubles. The Dallas, Texas, product was also named to the All-SEC First Team after staking claim to the league’s offensive player of the week a record four times, including three consecutive weeks from Nov. 9-23. She has now earned the honors seven times in the past two seasons, tying her for the most in a career with Florida's Aury Cruz.

 

During the 2009 campaign, Fowler led the Lady Vols with 459 kills, 3.79 kills per set, 1,268 attacks, 542.0 points and 4.48 points per set. She currently ranks 12th on Tennessee’s career kills chart with 1,256 and will need 526 in her senior season to break the school record. Her accomplishments aren't limited to the hardwood, however, as she was also named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV First Team for the second straight season.

 

The SEC was well represented in the AVCA South Region awards with 12 of the 20 players honored coming from the league, including region freshman of the year Jasmine Norton of Arkansas. Nine players found their way to the all-region team, while three more claimed honorable mention accolades.

 

##LADY VOL VOLLEYBALL##

 

College Volleyball Player Awards: AVCA All-Midwest Region Team Volleyball Awards and Honors

Tulsa’s Henderson Named Regional Freshman of the Year; Three Tulsa University Volleyball Players Earn AVCA All-Midwest Region Honors

Henderson, Eichler named to all-region team, and Adams named honorable mention selection

 

TULSA, Okla. – Tyler Henderson was named Midwest Region Freshman of the Year, and two other University of Tulsa volleyball players – Jennifer Eichler and Jessica Adams – were named to the America Volleyball Coaches Association All-Midwest Region team, the AVCA announced Wednesday.

 

Henderson, the 2009 Conference USA Freshman of the Year, and Eichler, the 2009 C-USA Player of the Year, were named to the all-region team, while Adams, a second-team All-C-USA selection, was an honorable mention all-region selection. The trio helped lead the Golden Hurricane to a 26-7 overall record and 13-3 C-USA record in 2009, finishing second in the league and reaching the C-USA Championship finals.

 

Henderson this season became just the second player in Tulsa history to record more than 500 kills in a single season, setting the school freshman record for kills in a season. She ranks 10^th in the NCAA in kills per set with 4.62, and 22^nd in points per set with 4.89. She led C-USA in total kills with 554, kills per set, total points with 587.0, and ranked second in points per set. She was the only C-USA player to earn the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week award four times this season. Overall, Henderson totaled 554 kills (4.62 k/s), hit a .286 attack percentage, and tallied 66 digs, 53 total blocks and 587.0 points. She stepped up her game against the stiffest competition – against AVCA regionally ranked opponents from all regions, she totaled 223 kills (5.44 k/s), 28 digs, 20 blocks, and totaled 253 points (5.73 per set).

 

“Tyler continues to prove to be one of the best players in Conference USA,” Tulsa Head Coach Ed Allen said. “We expect this to be one of many awards she will receive over the next few years. She has worked very hard to get where she is, and we expect her to develop into one of the best players in the country.”

 

Eichler earned her first all-region accolades as a senior and in her second year at the Division I level. She played every rotation for the first time in her college career, and finished the season as one of the best players in Conference USA. She ranked second in the league in total kills, fourth in kills per set and third in points per set. She recorded 400 kills in each of her two seasons at TU, totaling 866 kills. This season Eichler totaled 466 kills, 3.80 kills per set, a .283 attack percentage, 22 service aces, 299 digs (2.47 dig/s), 86 total blocks and 528.0 points. In matches against AVCA regionally ranked opponents, she totaled 164 kills (4.00 k/s), six aces, 121 digs (2.95 dig/s), 28 total blocks and 186.5 points (4.55 points/s).

 

“We are very pleased for Jen,” said Allen. “She has given a great deal to this program in a short amount of time. She was asked to do things this season to help the program that she has never been asked to do.”

 

Adams, a freshman, played in all 121 sets this season as the libero, and finished the season ranked 17^th in the NCAA, averaging 5.25 digs per set. She also ranked second in C-USA in total digs, 635, and digs per set. She became just the second player in school history to record 600 digs in a single season, setting the school freshman record for digs. Adams also added 29 assists and 18 service aces. Against AVCA regionally ranked opponents, she totaled 244 digs, averaging 5.95 digs per set.

 

“We are excited for Jess,” Allen said. “We believe her to be one of the best liberos in the league. If she continues to improve, she can continue to be one of the best liberos in the region.”

 

For all TU volleyball information, visit www.TulsaHurricane.com. Follow Tulsa Athletics on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/TulsaHurricane. Become a fan of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane page on Facebook – search “Tulsa Golden Hurricane.”

College Volleyball Player Awards: AVCA All-Mideast Region Team Volleyball Awards and Honors

Katie Dull Named to the AVCA Mideast All-Region Team

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State women's volleyball outside hitter Katie Dull has been named to the 2009 AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) Mideast All-Region Team the AVCA announced Jan. 9. The 14-member team was picked by a panel of coaches. The All-Region team members as well as honorable mention selections will be considered for All-America first, second or third team selections and will be announced Dec. 16. Dull, a 5-10 junior from Stow, Ohio, was an honorable mention selection in 2008. This season, she averaged team-highs of 4.65 points and 3.98 kills per set. Dull finished second in digs per set at 2.26 and was second in ace serves with 33 for a .26 per set average. She had a team-high 25 solo blocks and ranked third on the squad in blocks per set with a .61 average (52 assist blocks). Dull finished the 2009 season with double-figure kills in her last 33 matches. Ohio State finished the 2009 season with a 25-10 overall record and was tied for fourth in the Big Ten Conference with a 12-8 mark. The Buckeyes were an at-large selection to the NCAA Championship and advanced to the second round. Mideast Region Ashley Benson, Indiana University, MB, Jr. Blair Brown**, Penn State University, RS/Opp., Jr. Laura DeBruler**, University of Illinois, OH, Jr. Katie Dull, The Ohio State University, OH, Jr. Lauren Gibbemeyer**, University of Minnesota, MB, Jr. Alisha Glass***, Penn State University, S, Sr. Ellen Herman**, Ohio University, OH, Sr. Megan Hodge****, Penn State University, OH, Sr. Sabel Moffett, Northwestern University, MB, Jr. Kate Nobilio, Northwestern University, DS/Lib., Sr. Juliana Paz, University of Michigan, OH, Sr., Christine Tan**, University of Minnesota, DS/Lib., Sr. Arielle Wilson**, Penn State University, MB, Jr. Lexi Zimmerman***, University of Michigan, S, Jr. Region Freshman of the Year: Darcy Dorton, Penn State, OH Honorable Mention:  Kyndra Abron, Michigan State, OH, So.  Johannah Bangert, Illinois, MB, Jr. Michelle Barstch, Illinois, RS/Opp., So.  Taylor Carico, Minnesota, S, Sr. Darcy Dorton, Penn State, OH, Fr.  Hillary Haen, Illinois, S, Jr. * Denotes total number of years selected to AVCA Division I All-Region Team ##ohiostatebuckeyes.com##

American Volleyball Coaches Association Announces 2009 All-Region Teams

Eight MWC student-athletes named All-West Region.

 

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The 2009 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Region Teams were announced today and six Mountain West Conference student-athletes were named to the West Region squad. Colorado State’s Katelin Batten (Sr., L), Danielle Minch (Jr., OH) and Megan Plourde (Fr., MB), and TCU’s Kourtney Edwards (Sr., MB), Christy Hudson (Jr., RS/Opp.) and Megan Munce (So., S) were named to the West Region team, while New Mexico’s Taylor Hadfield (Jr., Rs/Opp.) and Utah’s Karolina Bartkowiak (Jr., RS/Opp.) received honorable mention.

This season marks the 11th straight year that the Mountain West Conference was represented on the AVCA All-Region squad. Since 1999, 58 MWC student-athletes have earned all-region accolades and 15 have gone on to garner All-America status. An additional 17 student-athletes have been named honorable mention All-Americans. The 2009 All-America team will be announced on Wednesday, December 16.

Batten, a Parker, Colo., native, leads the MWC in digs per set in overall and Conference matches (4.31 and 4.51, respectively). She was named to her first all-Conference team as the league’s designated libero this season, and is the MWC’s active leader in career digs (1,765), ranking on the all-time list.

Minch, the 2009 MWC Player of the Year, earned her first all-region selection after leading Colorado State to its sixth outright MWC regular-season championship. The Sterling, Colo., native, finished the regular season leading the league in kills per set in Conference matches (3.80). She also leads the MWC in kills (3.79) and points per set (4.16) in overall matches, and finished Conference play ranking third in points per set (4.16). Minch has tallied double-digit kills in 22 matches this season and was honored as the MWC Player of the Week on November 16.

Plourde earned her first all-region honor. The Somerset, Wis., product finished the Conference season leading the league in hitting percentage (.383), while ranking third in blocks per set (1.23) and eighth in points per set (3.26). In overall matches, she is currently fourth in hitting percentage (.337) and eighth in blocks per set (1.05).

Edwards, a Haltom City, Texas, product, is a first-time all-region honoree. In overall matches, she currently leads the Conference and is ranked 18^th nationally in hitting percentage (.373). She also ranks fifth in kills (3.24) and points per set (3.85), and ninth in blocks per set (1.03). In Conference play, she was fifth in hitting percentage (.327), while ranking sixth in kills (3.11) and points per set (3.64). Edwards was also named MWC Player of the Week five times this season.

Hudson, a Yorba Linda, Calif., native, earned the first all-region selection of her career. She currently ranks ninth in the MWC in hitting percentage (.297) for overall matches. She also ranked in the top-15 for hitting percentage (11^th, .292) and kills per set (14^th, 2.61) in league play. She is a two-time all-Conference honoree and was named MWC Player of the Week on November 30.

Munce, a Costa Mesa, Calif., native, leads the MWC in service aces per set in overall (0.57) and Conference matches (0.42), while ranking fourth in assists per set in overall (10.12) and league play (9.94). Nationally, she ranks 34^th in aces per set. Munce was named to the all-Conference team this season and was voted as the MWC Player of the Week on October 26. She also leads the MWC with 13 double-doubles on the season.

 

 

 

USA Volleyball Team Members Tayyiba Haneef-Park, Jennifer Joines on Dr. Phil

As reported on USA Volleyball.org:

Tayyiba Haneef-Park, Jennifer Joines Tamas A Tall Order on Dr. Phil

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Dec. 11, 2009) - Tayyiba Haneef-Park (Laguna Hills, Calif.) and Jennifer Joines Tamas (Milpitas, Calif.), both members of the U.S. Women's National Volleyball team and part of the silver-medal roster at the 2008 Olympic Games, know a thing or two about being tall.

Haneef-Park stands 200 centimeters tall, or 6-feet, 7-inches. Only two other women's volleyball players were taller than her at the 2008 Olympic Games - both Russian players who are 202 centimeters tall, less than one inch taller than Haneef-Park. Joines Tamas is listed on international rosters at 191 centimeters tall, nearly 6-3 1/2 in feet and inches. At the 2008 Olympic Games, she was the second tallest player on the U.S. Women's Olympic Team roster behind Haneef-Park.

To read the entire feature story, visit http://usavolleyball.org/news/article/29727.

NCAA Volleyball Tournament 2009 Playoffs Dec 11: Kentucky Volleyball Women Drop 3-2 Thriller to Florida State

Sauer sets single season digs record

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Another gritty comeback effort ended in a heartbreaker as the Kentucky volleyball team suffered a 3-2 (16-25, 26-24, 25-17, 19-25, 17-15) loss to Florida State in the round of 16 at the NCAA Tournament in Minneapolis, Minn. Senior BriAnne Sauer’s 23 digs propelled her to claim the single-season digs record in UK history in the loss.

Kentucky (29-5) suffered the heartbreaker after storming back to force a deciding fifth stanza. Kentucky’s tenacity also enabled the Blue and White to fight off four set points and a three-point deficit in the middle of the fifth frame.

UK had four players reach double-figures in the kill column led by juniors Sarah Mendoza with 19 and Lauren Rapp with a season-high 18 hammers. Junior Blaire Hiler eclipsed a career-best with 15 kills and sophomore Becky Pavan added 13. Kentucky used a .290 hitting clip in the match and accounted for 75 kills. Senior setter Sarah Rumely dished out a season-high 63 assists while Sauer led the defensive effort with 23 digs.

Mendoza registered her fifth straight double-double effort with the 19 kills and 14 digs. Rapp posted six blocks and sophomore Gretchen Giesler turned back four. Junior Laura Stokowski and freshman Stephanie Klefot picked up six digs each in the loss.

Rapp had the first point of the fifth set to give UK the early edge. Florida State responded quickly with a point of its own and the teams traded points back and forth until Florida State broke free for back to back kills to take a 6-4 lead. Florida State maintained its two point edge into the switch of benches with an 8-6 lead after the Seminoles earned a kill that rolled the length of the net and barely fell into the court of play on its eight point of the set.

Out of the break Rapp posted a kill to bring UK within one and then Florida State had another stroke of luck when a ball just graced the net and dropped in front of UK’s defense to take a 9-7 edge. Back-to-back kills enabled the Seminoles to take an 11-8 advantage forcing UK into a timeout. Kentucky fired back with consecutive kills from Mendoza and Hiler to pull to within one again at 11-10. This time Florida State opted for a timeout.

Florida State earned a rejection out of the timeout to once again earn a two-point lead at 12-10. Hiler came up with another huge kill and UK once again got to within one. A long defensive battle ended in a slam by Pavan to tie the score at 12 apiece. Florida State responded with a kill of its own to go ahead once again. Hiler’s answer tied the score at 13 as she found a seam deep in the backcourt. UK served the ball into the net to give Florida State set point, but Rapp kept the match alive with a kill. Kentucky then committed another unforced error to allow Florida State to earn set point at 15-14 and UK opted to use its final timeout.

A block from Rapp and Pavan once again kept the match alive for the Wildcats, but Florida State captured set point again with a kill and the match ended on a service ace giving Florida State the victory.

The Seminoles captured the first two points of the fourth stanza to gain an early advantage. Rapp’s kill made the score 2-1 in favor of the home team. Florida State would go on to score the next four points to take a 6-1edge. UK would slowly climb back into the thick of things with a 6-0 run to take a 9-8 lead. Hiler had three kills in the stretch and Giesler and Rumely came up with a huge momentum changing block to ignite the UK rally. After watching the Wildcats rattle off six unanswered points Florida State chose to use burn an early timeout.

Out of the timeout Giesler and Rumely teamed up again for another rejection to give UK a 10-8 lead. The Wildcats took their largest lead of the early going at 12-9 after another Hiler kill. After a long rally that featured tremendous defensive plays from both sides of the net Rapp ended the run with a timely kill to bring the crowd to its feet and give the Wildcats a 14-11 lead. UK continue to thrive as Rapp was in on back-to-back blocks to allow UK to take a 16-11 edge. After consecutive points from Florida State, Mendoza ended the rally with another kill to keep the Wildcats ahead.

UK’s defense forced the Seminoles into an errant attack and UK took a 21-14 advantage. After consecutive points for FSU, Giesler came up with a solo block to keep the Seminoles at bay. Hiler’s kill and another miscue from the Florida State enabled UK to capture a 25-19 set four win to force a deciding fifth stanza.

Kentucky used a .222 attack percentage and 16 kills in the fourth set. The Wildcat defense limited Florida State to a mere .049 hitting clip and just 10 kills. Kentucky’s six blocks in the set proved to be the difference maker.

Florida State opened the scoring with a kill, but Kentucky quickly responded when Pavan slammed down a kill to get the Blue and White on the board. The Seminoles took the next two points, but then the Wildcats stormed back with a kill from Rapp and back-to-back service aces from Sauer. Kentucky took its first lead thanks to a miscue from the Seminoles when the server put the ball into the next giving UK a 6-5 edge. The Wildcats would take their largest lead of the early going after three straight kills from UK’s offense allowed the designated visitors to take a 12-8 lead and force Florida State into a timeout.

Out of the early break, Mendoza fired back with another kill. UK continued to stretch its lead taking a seven-point advantage at 17-10 after another ace this time from Rapp. The Blue and White did not let up despite a consecutive points from the Seminoles to make the score 20-15. Hiler fired back with a kill and Rumely earned her second ace of the stanza to give UK a 22-15 lead. Florida State opted to use its final timeout of the set.

Rapp came up with a solo block from the middle out of the timeout to give the Wildcats a 23-15 lead. Rapp and Mendoza capped off the set with kills to allow Kentucky to earn the first set victory with the score of 25-16.

UK hit a blistering .500 in the stanza with 17 kills as five UK players had at least one kill led by Mendoza’s opening seven to begin the night. Kentucky totaled just two errors, while Florida State hit .323 but tallied just 11 kills. Kentucky also totaled five serving aces to aid the UK cause.

Pavan started the scoring in the second frame when she sent a scorching kill into the center of the court and then came up with a solo block on the next possession to give the Wildcats the early 2-0 advantage. Florida State would not go away though as UK could only stretch its lead to a three point edge at 13-10 after a Rapp kill. The Wildcats took a two-point lead on another Rapp kill into the media timeout to give UK the 15-13 advantage.

With her seventh dig of the match in the second set Sauer set the single-season school record for digs in a single season. Kentucky earned its largest lead of the stanza at 17-13 off of a kill from Rumely when she took a turn swinging away into the Florida State defense. The Seminoles slowly chipped away at the lead however, as the designated home team pulled to with 19-18 after three straight points forcing UK to use its first timeout.

Pavan posted her eighth kill of the match out of the break to give UK a 20-18 edge, however Florida State would come back to tie the score at 20 with consecutive kills. The Seminoles earned their first lead of the entire set with a kill to make the score 22-21. Florida State captured a two point edge at 23-21 after a misfire by the Wildcats. The Seminoles earned set point at 24-22, but UK’s offensive onslaught confused the defensive effort and Florida State committed a ball handling error to allow the Wildcats to pull to within 24-23. Florida State then opted to use its first timeout of the set with UK on the brink of tying the score. Mendoza came up with the kill to tie the score at 24 and force the set into extra points.

Florida State earned the first point on a kill and then the Seminoles were able to capture the second stanza on a final ace at 26-24. Kentucky hit just .275 in the second set while Florida State did not hit any better with a .216 average. Kentucky posted 17 kills and Florida State had only 14. The difference in the second set was UK’s four service errors.

The Seminoles opened the scoring in the third set with the first three points going to the home team. Pavan scored the first point for UK to make the score 3-1 in favor of Florida State. Giesler’s kill made the score six a piece for the set’s first tie. Pavan’s kill on an over pass gave the Wildcats their first lead of the stanza at 8-7. Florida State used a 4-0 run to take a 12-9 lead and force UK into an early timeout. Out of the break the Seminoles took the next three points to stretch the lead to 15-9.

Florida State continued to maintain its comfortable advantage, but back-to-back FSU miscues enabled the Wildcats to pull back to within 22-15 and force the Seminoles into a timeout. Kentucky benefited from another FSU error out of the break to inch closer at 22-16, however the Seminoles fired back with consecutive points to earn set point at 24-16. Hiler’s kill saved one set point, but Florida State scored the next point on a kill to earn a 25-17 set three victory.

UK posted a match-low .191 hitting percentage and had just 11 kills. Florida State erupted for a .355 attacking percentage and 16 kills. Florida State was also able to come up with four blocks in the frame to help overcome the Wildcats.

For the most up-to-date information regarding the Kentucky volleyball team please visit UKathletics.com.

NCAA Volleyball Tournament 2009 Playoffs Dec 11: No. 2 Volleyball tops Texas A&M, 3-0, advances to NCAA Regional final

Senior Destinee Hooker leads the Horns with 23 kills on .465 hitting; Horns take on Friday’s Iowa State-Nebraska winner on Saturday at 8 p.m. Central on ESPNU.

 

OMAHA, Neb. – Senior Destinee Hooker logged a match-high 23 kills on .465 hitting, and junior Juliann Faucette chipped in 11 kills on .417 hitting to pace No. 2 Texas (27-1) to a 3-0 victory (25-18, 25-18, 25-21) over Texas A&M Friday afternoon in the round of 16 at the 2009 NCAA Volleyball Championships. 

               

Texas advances to the NCAA Regional finals for a fourth consecutive season and is set to meet the winner of this evening’s Iowa State-Nebraska match on Saturday at 8 p.m. Central.  The match will be televised by ESPNU, and the winner advances to the national semifinals set for Thursday, Dec. 17 in Tampa, Fla.    

               

Texas opened up a 3-1 lead in set one before the Aggies responded and took a 7-6 lead behind a kill from Sarah Ammerman.  Tied at eight apiece, the Longhorns claimed the next four points behind three Hooker kills and a Faucette block, as UT assumed a 12-8 lead and forced an A&M timeout.

               

A Faucette block and a Doris block staked Texas to a 14-8 lead, and the Horns would later assume a 17-10 cushion behind a kill from Bailey Webster.  The Aggies claimed the next three points to pull within 17-13 and force a Texas timeout.  UT regained control from there, as it took four of the next five points to assume a 21-14 lead.  Texas A&M pulled within 22-18, but an attack error from the Aggies pushed the Texas lead out to 23-18.  After another A&M timeout, Hooker closed out the set with a block and a kill, as UT took the first set, 25-18.

               

Faucette and Adams teamed up for a block to open the second set, and after A&M evened the set at two apiece, Texas went on a 6-0 run behind three Hooker kills that culminated with an 8-2 Texas lead and an Aggie timeout.  Out of the break, Texas A&M seized two of the next three points behind kills from Mary Batis to cut the Texas lead to 9-4.  After an Engle kill gave UT a 10-4 lead, A&M took the next three points behind kills from Lindsey Miller and Ammerman and a Texas attack error to cut the deficit to 10-7 and force a Texas timeout.

               

A pair of Texas blocks from Adams and Hooker gave UT a 12-7 lead, and with a 13-9 lead, Faucette notched three straight kills to extend the Longhorns’ cushion to 16-9.  Leading 17-11, Hooker followed a kill with a service ace to give UT a 19-11 lead and force another Aggie timeout.  Texas A&M clawed its way back into the set, and with Texas leading 22-17, Hooker’s first miscue on her 27^th swing cut the UT lead to 22-18 and forced a Texas timeout.  But, UT regrouped once more.

 

A lengthy rally on the ensuing point produced an errant Aggie attack, and Texas set up set point as Doris and Hooker teamed up for another block.  Hooker and Doris joined for one final block to seal the 25-18 Texas win in the second set.

 

Tied at four apiece in set three, Texas ran off five straight behind three Doris aces along with a block and a kill from Engle, as A&M burned another timeout.  Trailing 11-5, the Aggies’ Ammerman ran off three straight kills to cut the UT lead to 11-8 and force a Texas timeout.

 

A Longhorn error brought A&M within 11-9, but a Hooker block sandwiched between her 19^thand 20^th kills lifted Texas to a 14-9 lead.  Trailing 19-14, A&M picked up two kills from Ammerman to cut the deficit to 19-16 and force a UT timeout.          

 

A Longhorns error cut the lead to 19-17, but a Faucette kill and an Ammerman attack error gave Texas a 21-17 lead.  Hooker’s 22^nd kill and a Hooker block alongside Doris staked Texas to a 23-18 and forced another A&M timeout.  A Faucette kill set up a match point and a 24-21 Texas lead, and after a kill from A&M’s Batis, Hooker logged her 23^rd kill to seal the victory for Texas.   

 

 

 

NCAA Volleyball Tournament 2009 playoffs Dec 11: Baylor Volleyball NCAA Run Comes To An End

Freshman Torri Campbell was the only Baylor player in double figures with 10 kills

 
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Baylor volleyball’s run to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament came to an end in a 3-0 loss (24-26, 20-25, 17-25) to ninth-seeded California on Friday at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, Fla.
 
Cal controlled the match from the opening serve, not allowing Baylor to take any lead until BU scored the first point of the third set. Cal’s Hana Cutura led all players with 18 kills in the match. BU’s Torri Campbell led the team with 10 kills, while Katie Sanders had nine and Anna Breyfogle and Elizabeth Graham each had six. Taylor Barnes led the team with 34 assists and nine digs.
 
Cal racked up 9.0 blocks, compared to just 2.0 for BU, while hitting an efficient .330 (47-13-103) compared to just .192 (38-18-104).
 
In the first set, Cal jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but Baylor responded with three consecutive points, including a Graham kill, to tie the score at 5-5. Kills by Breyfogle and Sanders kept BU within two points at 10-8, but Cal pushed the lead to six at 18-12. The Baylor offense then heated up Christenson, Breyfogle and Barnes amidst a 5-0 run to tie the score at 20-20. The teams traded points until a BU serving error gave Cal the first set-point of the match. A Baylor attack error ended the set 26-24.
 
The second set started the same way for each team with Cal getting out to a 4-1 lead. Sanders racked up back-to-back kills to get Baylor within 9-7, but Cal answered with a 9-2 run for an 18-11 lead. Campbell had two kills in a row for Baylor, followed by a Sanders kill to pull within 21-18. Then Cal took the set with back-to-back kills from Tarah Murrey and Correy Johnson for the set win at 25-20.
 
Baylor scored the first point of the third set on a Sanders kill, but as was the story of the match, Cal scored nine of the next 12 points to take a commanding lead. Torri Campbell had three kills in the set, while Sanders and Qian Zhang each had two, but Baylor didn’t get any closer than five the rest of the way in a 25-17 closing set.
 
The Bears end the season at 24-10 overall, marking the fourth-highest single-season win total in school history. The loss was Baylor’s first and only non-conference loss during the 2009 season.
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College Volleyball Player Awards: AVCA All-Pacific Region Team Volleyball Awards and Honors

Four Huskies Named All-Pacific Region

LEXINGTON, Kent. – The American Volleyball Coaches Association named its All-Region teams today, with four Huskies earning distinction in the Pacific Region and thus becoming eligible for All-America honors. Juniors Kindra Carlson and Jenna Hagglund and sophomore Bianca Rowland were named to the 14-member team and senior Tamari Miyashiro earned honorable mention.

 

The Pacific Region encompasses the entire Pac-10 Conference, the West Coast Conference, and the Big Sky Conference. There are eight regions in Division-I. All-America selections will be drawn from the All-Region winners, including honorable mentions. Washington’s four selections tied Stanford for the most of any team.

 

Carlson, an outside hitter from Eaton, Colo., earns her first All-Region honor to go with her All-Pac-10 award. Carlson led the team with a career-high 4.00 kills per set, and averaged 4.51 in Pac-10 play. In conference play, Carlson ranked fifth in the league with 5.21 points per set. She had double-digit kills in every Pac-10 match, and had a career-high 26 vs. California. She also had a career-high 184 digs this year and seven double-doubles.

 

Hagglund was named to the region’s top team for the first time after earning honorable mention in 2008. She joins Cal’s Carli Lloyd as the only two setters honored, and was the only setter to make the All-Pac-10 Team as well. The junior from West Chester, Ohio directed the Pac-10's most balanced offense this year, as the Huskies hit a conference-best .288 with five players averaging more than two kills a set. Hagglund has moved up to second-place on UW's career assists charts with 3,996. She averaged 11.30 assists this year and upped that number to 12.12 in Pac-10 matches. She also averaged 2.09 digs per set and had 10 double-doubles.

 

Rowland moves up to the top Regional squad after earning Pac-10 honorable mention two weeks ago. The sophomore from Lynnwood, Wash. broke the Washington school record for attack percentage, hitting .456, surpassing Jessica Swarbrick’s .427 mark set just last year. Rowland was the only Pac-10 player to hit over .400 and ranked third in the nation at the end of the regular season. She averaged 2.42 kills per set and also led the team with 109 blocks.

 

There were no defensive specialists named to the first team, but Miyashiro and Stanford’s Gabbi Ailes both earned honorable mention. Miyashiro broke the Washington school record for digs in her final year, and wound up ninth in NCAA history with 2,382 digs. She also set the school record with 5.36 digs per set, the only Husky to average more than five digs every set for her career. The Kaneohe, Hawai’I native was the Volleyball Magazine National Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 and 2008 and is one of four Huskies ever named to the All-Pac-10 Team for three straight years.

 

Rourke Adds All-Pacific Region Honor

 

Lexington, Ky. – Senior Rachel Rourke (Queensland, Australia) earned the first ever All-Pacific Region Team honors in school history, announced Wednesday by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

 

Rourke was named to the 2008 AVCA All-Pacific Region Honorable Mention squad, also another first in Oregon State history. She joins 12 other Pac-10 players on the All-Pacific Region Team.

 

A two-time All-Pac-10 selection, she finished her career with 1,920 kills, easily breaking the school record set in 1994 by Shelly Smith. Her 531 kills this season ranks fourth all-time, and she holds the single season record for kills per set (4.83) and points per set (5.47). She also holds the career record for kills per set, averaging 4.52. She was an All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention selection as a sophomore and an All-Pac-10 Freshman Team honoree in 2006.

 

Being named to the All-Region team puts her in contention for AVCA All-America honors. Rourke was named a 2008 Under Armour/Volleyball Magazine All-American, being named to the honorable mention list. The All-America honor was the first ever for a volleyball player in school history.

 

Cook Named Pacific Region Freshman of the Year, Gil and Sather Earn All-Region Honors

LEXINGTON, Ky. - For the second straight year, a Bruin took home AVCA Pacific Region Freshman of the Year honors, as Lauren Cook earned the award on Wednesday. Last year’s honoree, Amanda Gil, was named to the All-Pacific Region First Team for the first time, while senior Kaitlin Sather also received her first All-Region award, earning honorable mention accolades. 

Cook and Gil are the only Bruins to earn Pacific Region Freshman of the Year honors, which was first awarded in 1999. Gil and Sather’s All-Region selections give the Bruins 49 overall awards since 1987 and 39 first-team honors. 

Cook became the fifth Bruin to earn Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honors last Monday, leading the Bruins in assists per set (10.69), placing second with 16 double-doubles, third with 21 aces and fourth in digs per set (2.44). The freshman, who was also named to the All-Pac-10 honorable mention and Pac-10 All-Freshman squads, surpassed the 50-assist mark four times, recording a season-best 56 assists at Oregon on Nov. 21. Cook became just the fifth UCLA player to earn AVCA National Player of the Week accolades on Sept. 15, also earning Pac-10 POW honors. 

Gil led the Bruins in blocks per set at 1.57, also placing first among Pac-10 players and third in the nation. An All-Pac-10 first-team honoree, Gil had 22 matches with at least five blocks, posting a pair of double-doubles. She had 14 kills and 10 blocks against Oregon on Oct. 23 and recorded 15 kills and a season-high 11 roofs against Baylor last Saturday. Gil also led the Bruins in hitting percentage at .360, which was 30th in the nation. She swung at a .400 clip or better 13 times, posting 2.37 kills per set (third on team) and 12 double-figure kills matches. 

Sather had a memorable senior season that saw her become the 12th player in UCLA history to post 1,000 kills and digs, conclude her career at 11th on the Bruins’ career kills list and earn her first All-Region, All-Pac-10 first-team and Pac-10 Player of the Week honors. Sather paced the Bruins in double-doubles with 17 and was second with 2.86 kills and 3.05 digs per set. During Pac-10 play, she led the squad with 3.15 kps. Sather had a team-best 22 double-figure kills contests, finishing her career with 1,501 kills. She also had 22 double-figure digs contests. 

PEPPERDINE VOLLEYBALL’S KIM HILL NAMED TO AVCA ALL-REGION HONORABLE MENTION TEAM

 

MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine women’s volleyball player Kim Hill was named to the AVCA All-Pacific Region honorable mention squad today.

 

Hill (Portland, Ore./Portland Christian HS), a sophomore middle blocker, was previously named to the All-West Coast Conference first team. She currently ranks fifth nationally in hitting percentage (.425) and finished second on the team in kills (3.01) and blocks (0.72).

 

She had a big finish to her season, as she recorded double-figure kills in each of the last 13 matches, including 20 or more in three of the final four contests. Her strong play down the stretch earned her the WCC’s Player of the Month award for November.

 

She set the Pepperdine record for hitting percentage in a single season and also currently holds the career record (.392) as well.

 

Hill was the WCC Freshman of the Year in 2008 as well as an All-WCC honorable mention selection that season.

 

She was one of only two WCC players to earn AVCA All-Pacific Region honors this season, with San Diego’s Ali Troost landing on the first team.

 

Pepperdine concluded its regular season with a 16-11 overall record and in third place in the WCC with a 9-5 mark.

 

College Volleyball Player Awards: Five Clemson Tiger Volleyball Players Earn All-Conference Honors

Ege wins Clemson’s first Defensive Player of the Year award.

 

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Five Clemson volleyball players earned All-ACC accolades as announced by the conference office on Thursday. Seniors Kelsey Murphy, Didem Ege, and Lia Proctor upheld their preseason honors, and were named to the All-ACC team. Freshman Sandra Adeleye was also labeled All-ACC, and joined Alexa Rand on the All-Freshman team. Didem Ege also won the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year title as the conference’s all-time leader in digs.  The awards were voted upon by the league’s 12 coaches.

 

The Tigers learned the news the day before they play 14-seed Oregon in the NCAA Tournament in Lexington, KY. The appearance is Clemson’s third straight and eighth overall. Clemson’s four selections were tied for the most with Florida State, the third overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

 

Ege and Murphy earn the award for the third time. Ege was named All-ACC as a freshman, sophomore, and senior, while Murphy has be there each of the past three seasons. Proctor earns her second consecutive nod, while Adeleye is a first-time selection. Adeleye is only the fourth player in Clemson history to earn All-ACC honors as a freshman, joining Ege in 2006, Jessi Betcher in 1999, and Michelle Thieke in 1995. She joins ACC Freshman Player of the Year, Monique Mead of Georgia Tech, as the only two freshmen among the sixteen selections in 2009.  

 

Alexa Rand and Adeleye were named to the All-Freshman team and are Clemson’s first representatives since the 2006 season when Murphy and Ege made an appearance. It is only the third time in Clemson history that more than one freshman has been honored, and the Tigers are the only team to place more than one player on the team this season.

 

Ege also earned her first career Defensive Player of the Year award, as the Istanbul, Turkey native set the ACC’s career record for digs and digs per set for a career. Ege had a career-best 36 digs against Furman in 2009, and has averaged nearly 5.00 digs/set this season.

 

Murphy, a three-time selection is the only player in ACC history to record 5,000 assists, 1,000 digs, and 400 blocks in a career. She has guided the Tigers to three straight NCAA Tournaments, the 2007 ACC Championship, and has led Clemson to the top league hitting percentage in two of the past three seasons.

 

Proctor was second in the league this season, averaging 3.80 kills per set. The senior will leave Clemson in the top ten in career kills and attempts. She posted a career-high 24 this season against Duke, and was second in the conference with 15 double-doubles.

 

Adeleye came on strong late, and was sixth among all ACC players in kills/set in ACC play. The freshman finished the regular season third in the ACC in hitting percentage and fourth in blocks per set. She also averaged more than 3.00 kills per set for the season, the highest among all league middles.

 

Alexa Rand earns the All-Freshman nod after hitting .398 in the regular season, which ranks second in the ACC and ninth in the NCAA, and could finish as the top hitting season in Clemson history. She also averaged 1.29 blocks per set, which ranked second in the ACC.

 

 

College Volleyball Player Awards: All-ACC Conference Volleyball Awards and Honors for Duke, Virginia Tech, Virginia

Duke Places Three On All-ACC Volleyball Team

December 3, 2009

DURHAM, N.C. - Duke volleyball players Rachael Moss, Becci Burling and Kellie Catanach were each named to the 2009 All-ACC Volleyball Team, and freshman Christiana Gray earned a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced Thursday.

Moss, Burling, Catanach and Gray helped the Blue Devils (27-5, 17-3 ACC) earn their fifth straight bid to the NCAA Tournament and the program's fourth consecutive 25-win season. The quartet made up part of the best defensive team in the ACC, as Duke held all teams to a conference-low .156 hitting percentage.

Moss, who is making her fourth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament along with her fellow seniors, becomes only the third player in Duke history to be named to the All-ACC Volleyball Team four times. As a senior, she leads Duke with 351 kills, 903 attacks and 13 double-doubles. A 5-10 outside hitter from Cypress, Calif. (Los Alamitos), she has left her mark on the Duke record books and ranks third all-time with 1,674 kills, fourth with 1,544 digs and fourth with 167 service aces. Also a two-time  Academic All-America - including First Team in 2009 - she has a 3.94 GPA as a Political Science major and Theater minor.

Burling, a 6-1 middle blocker, posted her second straight 300-kill season while also leading Duke with 114 blocks in her junior campaign. A native of Monument, Colo., Burling made her first appearance on the All-ACC Team this year and has set career highs in kills and blocks this season. She has put back 10 blocks in two different matches this year while hitting at least 10 kills 20 times and recording a double-double with 10 blocks and 14 kills in a 3-2 win at Clemson.

Catanach, meanwhile, has directed one of the ACC's best offenses and topped 1,200 assists for the second straight year. Under her direction, Duke ranked among the top three in the ACC with a .259 hitting percentage and 13.85 kills per set. Catanach has dished out 1,232 assists in her second season as Duke's starter, averaging 10.53 per game, while also improving as an attacker with 100 kills and a .248 hitting percentage. An All-East Region and an ACC All-Freshman choice in 2008, Catanach has also collected 209 digs, 61 blocks and 28 service aces this season.

Gray made an immediate impact in her first season as a Blue Devil, starting all but one match while leading Duke with a .320 hitting percentage. Gray put back 110 blocks as a freshman, including 11 outings with at least five stops. A 6-5 middle blocker, she hit over .300 in 18 matches, .400 or better 17 times and .500 or better nine times.

Those four and the rest of the Blue Devils will look to extend Duke's season this Friday, Dec. 4, when Duke takes on Tennessee in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Volleyball Tournament in Knoxville, Tenn. With a win, the Blue Devils would then advance to the second round for the fifth straight year where they would face the winner of No. 11-seed Minnesota and Louisville.

Willoughby, Baarendse earn ACC accolades
Willoughby named All-ACC for third consecutive year

BLACSKBURG, Va. - Junior Felicia Willoughby and freshman Cara Baarendse both received Atlantic Coast Conference accolades, the conference announced on Thursday, as Willoughby garnered first-team All-ACC honors, while Baarendse earned a spot on the ACC All-Freshman squad.

Willoughby notched All-ACC accolades for the third straight year, after receiving first-team recognition in 2008 and second-team honors in 2007. The Pleasanton, Calif., native is the only Hokie ever to earn All-ACC honors three consecutive seasons.

Willoughby led the squad with 139 blocks and ranked second on the team in kills with 332 this season. Her 1.17 blocks per set average ranked third in the conference, and she sits in second and fourth place in the Tech record books in career blocks and career hitting percentage, respectively. She owns 428 total blocks in her career and is striking at a .320 clip in her time with the Hokies.

Baarendse garnered ACC All-Freshman honors, after leading Tech in hitting percentage, striking at a .354 clip in 2009. She recorded 280 kills, third-most for the Hokies, and 67 blocks, second most on the team. She held the fifth-best hitting percentage in the conference, as well as the top season hitting percentage among Tech freshmen all time, and third highest in school history among all Hokies.

The selection of Baarendse to the ACC All-Freshman squad marks the fourth consecutive year a Hokie has been named to the team. Sophomore Erin Leaser earned ACC All-Freshman honors last year, while Willoughby and senior Taylor Parrish received the accolade in 2007 and 2006, respectively.
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2009 All-ACC Volleyball Team
Name            Yr.     Pos.    School
Sandra Adeleye  Fr.     MH      Clemson
Didem Ege       Sr.     DS      Clemson
Kelsey Murphy   Sr.     S       Clemson
Lia Proctor     Sr.     OH      Clemson
Becci Burling   Jr.     MB      Duke
Kellie Catanach So.     S       Duke
Rachael Moss    Sr.     OH      Duke
Brianna Barry   Sr.     MB      Florida State
Mira Djuric             Sr.     OH      Florida State
Rachael Morgan  So.     OH      Florida State
Jordana Price   Sr.     MB      Florida State
Chrissy DeMichelis      Sr.     OH      Georgia Tech
Monique Mead    Fr.     OH      Georgia Tech
Mary Ashley Tippins     Jr.     S       Georgia Tech
Lane Carico     So.     OH      Miami
Cassie Loessberg        Sr.     DS      Miami
Simone Asque    So.     OH      Virginia
Felicia Willoughby      Jr.     MB      Virginia Tech
Player of the Year: Brianna Barry, Sr., MB, Florida State
Defensive Player of the Year: Didem Ege, Sr., DS, Clemson
Coach of the Year: Chris Poole, Florida State

2009 ACC All-Freshman Volleyball Team
Name            Pos.    School
Sandra Adeleye  MH      Clemson
Alexa Rand      MH      Clemson
Christiana Gray MB      Duke
Fatma Yildirim  OH      Florida State
Monique Mead    OH      Georgia Tech
Cara Baarendse  MB      Virginia Tech
Freshman of the Year: Monique Mead, OH, Georgia Tech

Asque Named to All-ACC Volleyball Team
Outside hitter honored among league’s best

GREENSBORO, N.C.- Sophomore Simone Asque was named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference Volleyball Team, as announced Thursday by the league office.

The Chicago, Ill., native led the Cavaliers with 416 kills this season and ranked third in the ACC, averaging 3.65 kills per set. She earned back-to-back ACC Player of the Week honors following a two-week stint in which she landed 87 kills (5.44 kps), including a career-high 29 in a five-set victory over Miami, to lead the squad to three wins in four matches.

Asque’s 29 kills against the Hurricanes tied her for the ninth-best single match output in Virginia history, while her 82 swings in the match was one shy of setting an individual match record for attack attempts.

The outside hitter concluded the season with 416 kills, 211 digs and 48 blocks. She registered double-digit kills in 23 matches and collected a team-high seven double-doubles. In addition, she tallied double-digit kills in 11 of the final 12 matches of the season and reached 20 kills five times throughout that stretch.

To open the season, Asque was named to the Texas A&M Invitational All-Tournament Team after recording 29 kills and 25 digs in three matches. She was also tabbed Preseason All-ACC.

Asque becomes the first Cavalier to earn All-ACC honors since All-American Sarah Kirkwood did so in 2007. Asque was also named to the ACC All-Freshman Team last year.


2009 All-ACC Volleyball Team
Name                  Yr.    Pos.     School
Sandra Adeleye        Fr.     MH      Clemson
Didem Ege             Sr.     DS      Clemson
Kelsey Murphy         Sr.     S       Clemson
Lia Proctor           Sr.     OH      Clemson
Becci Burling         Jr.     MB      Duke
Kellie Catanach       So.     S       Duke
Rachael Moss          Sr.     OH      Duke
Brianna Barry         Sr.     MB      Florida State
Mira Djuric           Sr.     OH      Florida State
Rachael Morgan        So.     OH      Florida State
Jordana Price         Sr.     MB      Florida State
Chrissy DeMichelis    Sr.     OH      Georgia Tech
Monique Mead          Fr.     OH      Georgia Tech
Mary Ashley Tippins   Jr.     S       Georgia Tech
Lane Carico           So.     OH      Miami
Cassie Loessberg      Sr.     DS      Miami
Simone Asque          So.     OH      Virginia
Felicia Willoughby    Jr.     MB      Virginia Tech
 
Player of the Year: Brianna Barry, Sr., MB, Florida State
Defensive Player of the Year: Didem Ege, Sr., DS Clemson
Coach of the Year: Chris Poole, Florida State
 
2009 ACC All-Freshman Volleyball Team
Name                    Pos.        School
Sandra Adeleye           MH         Clemson
Alexa Rand               MH         Clemson
Christiana Gray          MB         Duke
Fatma Yildirim           OH         Florida State
Monique Mead             OH         Georgia Tech
Cara Baarendse           MB         Virginia Tech
 
Freshman of the Year: Monique Mead, OH, Georgia Tech

College Volleyball Player Awards: South Conference Volleyball Awards and Honors

Sheriden Stangohr Honored By SoCon For November Accomplishments

--- Senior Bulldogs receives final volleyball Player of the Month award ---

 

Dec. 3, 2009

 

SPARTANBURG, S.C. Senior middle blocker Sheriden Stangohr has been named the Southern Conference Volleyball November Player of the Month, announced the league office on Thursday. The athletes of the month are nominated by each member institution and selected by the conference office.

 

 “This is a really nice way for Sheriden to end her career,” Samford head coach Derek Schroeder said. “She deserves a copious amount of individual accolades considering number of individual and career records she set this year alone. She was a large part of our success in the past two years, and we appreciate her hard work and dedication to this program.”

 

A First-Team All-SoCon selection as well as a member of the All-Tournament team, Stangohr finished the month with a .315 hitting percentage while averaging 3.26 kills per set. She notched a month-high in kills and hitting against Western Carolina on Senior Day with a 18 kills and a .469 percentage. She also posted a .364 hitting percentage in the previous game against Appalachian State and grabbed seven block assists and 11 kills against UNC Greensboro to start the month. She racked up 23 total blocks in five matches in the month of November and was responsible for 78.5 points.

 

Other nominees for the award were College of Charleston’s Ginny Phillips, Furman’s Natalie Braun and Georgia Southern’s Kate Van Dyke.

 

College Volleyball Player Awards: Pac-10 Conference Volleyball Awards and Honors

Pepperdine's Kim Hill Earns WCC Volleyball Player of the Month Honor

MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine women’s volleyball player Kim Hill was named the West Coast Conference’s Player of the Month for November, the league office announced today.
 
Hill (Portland, Ore./Portland Christian HS), a sophomore middle blocker, had a team-high 4.22 kills along with a remarkable .519 hitting percentage (97-16-156) during the Waves’ final five matches of the 2009 season (four of which were wins). She also averaged 0.78 blocks and 4.72 points in 23 sets.
 
She had at least 14 kills in each match and had 20 or more in three of the five matches, including a career-high 23 in the finale at San Francisco. She hit no worse than .421 in any of the five matches and was over .500 in three of them with a .594 (22-3-32) performance against Gonzaga.
 
Her big finish helped her to a .425 hitting percentage for the year, which ranks fifth in the country.
 
Hill was named to the All-WCC first team this season, and was the WCC Freshman of the Year in 2008 as well as an All-WCC honorable mention selection. For the 2009 season, she averaged 3.01 kills and 0.72 blocks.
 
Pepperdine concluded its regular season with a 16-11 overall record and in third place in the WCC with a 9-5 mark.



ASU's Sarah Reaves and Ashley Kastl Named to the All Pac-10 Team


WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - The Pac-10 Conference announced the 2009 All Pac-10 Volleyball Team Monday afternoon which included outside hitter Sarah Reaves collecting her third career All Pac-10 Team Honorable Mention honor, as well as freshman Ashley Kastl, who was named as an Honorable Mention to the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team, the sixth consecutive year that ASU has had a freshman named to Pac-10 All-Freshman team.

2009 ALL-PAC-10 WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL TEAM

PLAYER, TEAM     POS.  HT.   YR. HOMETOWN

Kindra Carlson, WASH MB/OH 6-1 Jr. Eaton, Colo.

Hana Cutura, CAL*** OH 6-3 Sr. Zagreb, Croatia

Neticia Enesi, ORE** MB 6-1 Sr. The Dalles, Ore.

Amanda Gil, UCLA MB 6-6 So. San Jose, Calif.

Jessica Gysin, USC** OH 6-1 Sr. Los Gatos, Calif.

Jenna Hagglund, WASH S 5-9 Jr. West Chester, Ohio
Alex Jupiter, USC OH 6-3 So. Hermosa Beach, Calif.

Alix Klineman, STAN*** OH 6-4 Jr. Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Cassidy Lichtman, STAN OH 6-1 Jr. Poway, Calif.

Tamari Miyashiro, WASH L 5-7 Sr. Honolulu, Hawaii

Sonja Newcombe, ORE** OH 6-1 Sr. Lake Arrowhead, Calif.

Janet Okogbaa, STAN MB 6-3 Sr. Tampa, Fla.

Rachel Rourke, OSU** OH 6-5 Sr. Aroona, Queensland, Australia

Kaitlin Sather, UCLA OH 6-1 Sr. Santa Rosa, Calif.

Honorable Mention: Gabi Ailes, STAN; Kendall Bateman, USC; Reneé Bordeleon, WSU; Lauren Cook, UCLA;

Nevena Djordjevic, ORE; Whitney Dosty, ARIZ: Lainey Gera, UCLA; Carli Lloyd, CAL; Dicey McGraw, UCLA;

Heather Meyers, ORE; Tarah Murrey, CAL; Jacy Norton, ARIZ; Tiffany Owens, ARIZ; Sarah Reeves, ASU; Cassie

Robbins, WSU; Bianca Rowland, WASH; Airial Salvo, WASH; Paige Weber, ARIZ; Mindi Wiley, CAL.



2009 PAC-10 ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM

PLAYER, TEAM POS. HT. HOMETOWN

Oceana Bush, WSU L 5-5     Spokane, Wash.

Karissa Cook, STAN S 5-11     Santa Cruz, Calif.

Lauren Cook, UCLA S 5-7     Lincoln, Neb.

Katherine Fischer, ORE OH 5-10     Los Altos, Calif.

Corey Johnson, CAL MH 6-4     Winter Park, Fla.

Bojana Todorovic, UCLA S/DS/OH 5-11     Irvine, Calif.

Jessica Walker, STAN MB 6-1     Houston, Texas

Honorable Mention: Hannah Benjamin, STAN; Kat Brown, CAL; Ashley Eneliko, OSU; Mari Hole, UCLA; Ashley

Kastl, ASU; Rachel Todorovich, WSU.


Andrew Palileo Named Pac-10 Volleyball Coach of the Year

Cougars Renee Bodelon, Cassie Robbins, Ocean Bush and Rachel Todorovich honored by Pac-10.

 
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- Washington State’s Andrew Palileo was named the Pacific-10 Conference Volleyball Coach of the Year for 2009, in just his second year with the Cougars volleyball program.
 
Seniors Renee Bordelon and Cassie Robbins were named to the All-Pac-10 honorable mention team. Oceana Bush was voted to the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team and Rachel Todorovich was named to the All-Freshman honorable mention team.
 
Palileo, who inherited a program that hadn’t won more than three conference matches in a year for four consecutive seasons, mentored the Cougars to an 18-12 overall record and into the 2009 NCAA Championship Tournament for the first time in seven years. In his first season at Washington State, Palileo’s team went 10-19 overall and 3-15 in Pac-10 play. The Cougars finished 6-12 (8th) in the Pac-10 in 2009 and only one of the losses came to a team not ranked in the top 18 nationally. Washington State will play No. 20 Northern Iowa (30-2) in an NCAA first round match Friday, Dec. 4, in Lincoln, Nebraska.
 
Palileo was named the 2007 Summit League Coach of the Year while at South Dakota State. The only other Washington State volleyball coach to receive Pac-10 Coach of the Year honors was Cindy Fredrick in 1995 when WSU went 22-7 overall, 12-6 (t-2nd) in conference action.
 
Bordelon, a setter from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, averages 11.46 assists per set which is third-best in the Pac-10 and 14th-best in the NCAA. Bordelon’s two-year total of 2,058 assists is seventh-best in WSU career records. Robbins, a middle blocker from Yakima, Wash., averages 1.24 blocks per set which is fourth-best in the conference and 40th nationally. Robbins’s four-year career totals for solo blocks (49), block assists (299) and total blocks (348) are all ranked 10th in WSU all-time standings.
 
Bush, a libero from Spokane, Wash., averages 4.81 digs per set which is third-best in the Pac-10 and 49th nationally. Her 520 digs for this season is the third-highest in WSU single-season records. Todorovich, a right-side hitter from Walla Walla, Wash., averaged 2.10 kills per set and her 68 blocks is third-best on the team.
 
www.wsucougars.com

 

College Volleyball Player Awards: SEC Conference Volleyball Awards and Honors

RECORD-TYING FIVE LADY VOLS NAB ALL-SEC ACCOLADES

Senior Chloe Goldman Named SEC Libero of the Year

 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The good news just keeps rolling in for the University of Tennessee volleyball team, as a school record-tying five different players earned All-Southeastern Conference honors on Monday, highlighted by senior Chloe Goldman who was named the league’s libero of the year.

 

Goldman also claimed a spot on the All-SEC First Team alongside junior Nikki Fowler, while senior Farren Powe and sophomore Kayla Jeter earned second-team honors and Leslie Cikra was named to the all-freshman squad. The accolades come just hours after the Lady Vols earned a ranking of No. 24 in the nation in the final American Volleyball Coaches Association poll of the 2009 regular season.

 

“I am absolutely thrilled that these five young women have been recognized for their achievements this season,” UT Head Coach Rob Patrick said. “Each one of them has played a critical role in the success we’ve been able to have so far this year, not just individually, but as a group. They have each brought something unique to our team, helping us accomplish as much as we have with 23 wins and a school-record 16 SEC victories. I could not be more proud of them.”

 

The All-SEC laurels are firsts for Goldman, Powe, Jeter and Cikra, while they mark the third for Fowler who was tabbed the league’s freshman of the year in 2007 and was the only unanimous selection to the 2008 All-SEC First Team. The Lady Vols also had five players earn all-conference honors in 1982, 2004 and 2005.

 

Goldman becomes just the third player in UT history to pick up a postseason player of the year award, matching the feat previously accomplished by Fowler and 2005 SEC Defensive Player of the Year Amy Morris. The Monterey, Calif., native led the SEC with 537 digs and 4.75 digs per set this season and became the all-time Tennessee career digs leader on Oct. 16, breaking the previous record of 1,474. She now has a four-year total of 1,724 which places her in a tie for fifth on the SEC career digs chart.

 

The three-year starter at libero also holds a commanding lead on the Lady Vol digs per set chart with a four-year average of 4.35. The next closest player is Morris, who averaged 4.01 scoops during her UT career. Goldman is the only player in Tennessee history to record 500 digs in three consecutive seasons and holds the three-highest single-season dig totals in UT history.

 

Following a 27-dig performance in Tennessee’s 3-2 triumph over No. 10 Kentucky in its regular-season finale, she now has 82 career matches with double-digit dig totals, 36 with 20 or more digs and seven with 30+ scoops. Goldman led the Big Orange in digs in 25 of its 30 matches in 2009 and has been its most consistent passer, passing at a .980 clip with just 15 reception errors in 744 attempts. She was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week twice this season and has six for her career, the second-most in conference history.

 

“I am especially proud of Chloe,” Patrick said. “She is a perfect example of a player that sets a goal and works as hard as she can to achieve it. Since she first stepped foot on campus, she has always wanted to be the best libero in the SEC. Since then, she has taken every bit of coaching we’ve given her and applied it to a great work ethic, not only in our practices, but individually as well. She has put in countless hours of extra time in the gym to become the best player that she could possibly be. I’m glad that the coaches in our conference realized what a huge role she has played for us both this season and her entire career.”

 

Fowler joins Florida’s Kelly Murphy, LSU’s Brittnee Cooper and Sarah Rumely of Kentucky as repeat selections to the All-SEC First Team. The Dallas, Texas, native finished the regular season with 14 consecutive double-doubles, increasing her season total to 17 and her career mark to 35. She currently leads UT with 431 kills and 1,188 attacks, ranks second with 373 digs and third with 100 blocks during the 2009 campaign.

 

The first player in SEC history to be named Offensive Player of the Week four times in one season, including three weeks in a row, Fowler has won the award seven times in the past two seasons, tying her for the most in a career with Florida's Aury Cruz. The 6-2 outside hitter led UT in kills in 21 of 30 regular-season matches in 2009, paced the team in blocks six times and digs on five occasions. She also topped 20 kills in a match five times this season and ranks 13th on the Lady Vols' all-time career kills list (1,228) second in attacks per set (9.88), sixth in kills per set (3.56), eighth in digs per set (2.70) and ninth in total attacks (3,408). Fowler’s accomplishments aren’t limited to the hardwood, however, as she has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV First Team for the second straight season.

 

“It’s exciting to have a player like Nikki on our team that can just stuff the stat sheet with every imaginable volleyball skill,” Patrick said. “She is someone that every team we play against has to try to identify when they are setting up a game plan. Even with that amount of attention being paid to her since her freshman year, she has still been able to be extremely successful in every single phase of the game. We are thrilled that we have her for another season.”

 

In just her second year at Rocky Top, Jeter has blossomed into one of the most effective attackers in the conference. The Solon, Ohio, product currently ranks second on UT roster with 328 kills and 2.88 kills per set. She was named the SEC Player of the Week earlier this afternoon after blasting out career-high 23 kills and hitting .422 in victory over No. 10 Kentucky last Wednesday.

 

Jeter has led the Lady Vols in kills in eight matches, in blocks on two occasions and finished the regular season ranked ninth and 10th in the SEC, respectively, with an average of 3.27 kills per set and a .287 attack average in league matches. Since conference play began on Sept. 18, she has increased her kills per set average by over a kill per frame, going from 1.85 to 2.88, and her hitting percentage by nearly 100 points (.157 to .256).

 

“Kayla Jeter might be the most improved player in the conference,” Patrick said. “She was really just starting to get her feet wet at the beginning of the season, but started to become more consistent and came on very strong at about the halfway point of the year. Since then, she’s become another deadly weapon at our disposal and teams have had to start game planning to find a way to slow her down. Although she was just a front-row player for most of the season, she has become an extremely effective six-rotation player for us since we switched from a 6-2 to a 5-1. We’ve asked her to shoulder a large load over the past couple of weeks and she has done a tremendous job stepping up to the challenge.”

 

Also picking up All-SEC Second Team honors for the first time in her career was Powe. A year after leading the conference in hitting percentage, the 6-1 middle blocker from Mobile, Ala., finished the 2009 campaign ranked eighth with a .306 attack average during SEC play. She also placed sixth with an average of 1.17 blocks per set in league contest. Overall, Powe finished the regular season with 193 kills and 131 blocks, including a squad-best 18 solo putbacks.

 

“Farren has had a very quiet, but extremely successful season,” Patrick said. “Even though her hitting numbers might be down a little from last year, she has still been able to affect other teams by providing a strong presence at the net, both blocking and hitting. Teams have to account for her offensively and defensively in every single match and that really helps to open up our offense for Nikki and Kayla.”

 

A rookie from Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Cikra was tabbed to the All-SEC Freshman Team after posting 152 kills in 30 matches, including 24 starts. She also tallied 45 blocks and 33 digs during her first year at Tennessee. A 6-3 outside hitter/middle blocker, Cikra has reached double-digits in kills four times, topping out at 14 versus Western Kentucky on Aug. 29.

 

“I was extremely excited to find out the Leslie was recognized on the All-Freshman Team,” Patrick said. “She came into this season having never played outside hitter or right side during her high school or club careers and has had to make the transition on the fly. Despite that, she has still been very effective in putting up a huge block and getting some timely kills for us.”

 

The Lady Vols will open up the postseason portion of their schedule this weekend when they host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Thompson-Boling Arena, Dec. 4-5. Following a 5 p.m. meeting between No. 11 and 13th-seeded Minnesota and Louisville on Friday, the Big Orange will square off with Duke at 7 p.m. in a rematch of a 2006 NCAA Tournament First Round contest. The winners of both matches will then advance to a second-round showdown at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

 Five Players Earn All-SEC Honors

Rumely earns First team honors for second consecutive season



BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Five Kentucky volleyball players earned All-Conference honors it was announced by the league office on Monday afternoon. With five selections to the various All-SEC teams Kentucky matches a school-record with five selections after having the same number of athletes earn All-SEC distinctions a season ago. Kentucky’s five selections is also a league-high among other league institutions in total honors marking the second straight season UK has achieved that feat as well.



Senior Sarah Rumely and junior Sarah Mendoza were tabbed All-SEC first team members, while senior BriAnne Sauer and junior Lauren Rapp earned second-team distinctions. Freshman Stephanie Klefot was a member of the All-SEC Freshman team.



“We are very pleased with our players earning All-SEC honors,” Kentucky coach Craig Skinner said.  “They are well-deserved awards and are a great compliment to the success of our team this season.  Our success has been dependent on having several people put up quality numbers, which these five players have done.  If you look at the stats we also have a couple of other players that very easily could have been all conference as well.”



Rumely earns All-SEC first team honors for the second consecutive season after earning the same distinction in her junior campaign. In her senior season she shattered the all-time UK record for career assists while also leading the SEC and ranking among the top-10 in the nation with 11.82 assists per set. Once this season she was tabbed the SEC’s Offensive Player of the Week after capturing MVP honors at the Kansas State tournament. The New Palestine, Ind., native is a three-time All-SEC honoree after earning All-SEC freshman team honors in her first season. A starter from the day she arrived in Lexington, Rumely has made her mark felt in the UK record books appearing among the all-time leaders in sets played, hitting percentage, assists, aces, block assists and digs.



Mendoza is an All-SEC first team member for the first time in her career after earning All-SEC second team honors a season ago. The outside hitter has enjoyed the most productive season of her career in nearly every category. Mendoza led the SEC with an average of 4.11 kills per set and had over six matches with 20 or more kills. She ranks among the top-30 in the nation in kills per frame. Mendoza also improved her hitting percentage and blocks in her third season in the Blue and White. The Winter Park, Fla., native earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors after helping UK to an upset of the then top-10 ranked Florida Gators on their home floor in early October. In a match against Georgia, Mendoza became just the 13th player in school history to strike for over 1,000 career kills.



Sauer is a member of the All-SEC second team and it marks the first time in her career she has achieved an All-Conference selection. It is an honor very much deserved as the senior from Louisville enjoyed the best season of her career in her final run. Sauer led the team with a career-best 4.57 digs per frame, and also led the SEC in scoops per set in league matches only. She became just the second player in school history to amass over 1,500 career digs – a total that also has her ranked among the league’s top-10 best totals in a career. Sauer charted a career-best 35 dig performance against Tennessee in the middle of October and became the first player in over three seasons to reach that plateau. Twice this season Sauer captured All-SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors.



Rapp’s All-SEC second team distinction is the third time in her career she has achieved All-SEC honors after earning second-team distinctions as a sophomore and All-Freshman team honors in her first campaign. Rapp developed her efficiency in her third season at UK with a career-best .322 hitting percentage, a clip which ranks among the league leaders in that category. She ranked second on the team with 2.49 kills per stanza and she also averaged 0.72 blocks per frame. Rapp ranks among UK’s all-time leaders in career hitting-percentage and she broke into the record books for career block assists in just her third season.



Klefot’s All-SEC freshman team honors is a first for the first-year player from Louisville. She became a steady force for Kentucky’s defensive efforts in the back-row as she averaged 2.69 digs per set despite playing just three rotations. For the season she picked up 291 scoops which is the second highest total on the team trailing only UK’s libero in Sauer. She had two matches with 20 or more digs and led the squad in digs on five occasions. Also a strong server for the Blue and White, Klefot accounted for 24 aces on the season – the second most on the squad.



This marks the fifth consecutive season the Wildcats (27-4, 17-3) have been selected to appear in the NCAA Tournament. Last year's four straight selections was a school record, which makes Skinner the only Kentucky coach to lead his team to post-season play in every season he has coached.



A Tournament Central site is available at UKathletics.com with information on all four teams, a seating chart and parking information. Follow along all week at Kentucky's official homepage for up-to-date information and news regarding the NCAA Volleyball Tournament.

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New 2010 Women's College Volleyball Recruits: Week 15 Early Commitments for Ball State

Ball State Women's Volleyball Team Signs Five Players For 2010 Season

MUNCIE, Ind. - - -Ball State women’s volleyball head coach Dave Boos announced the signing of five players to national letters of intent during the early signing period. The five players will join the Cardinals for the 2010 season.

   Joining the team for next season are Kylee Baker (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North H.S.), Catie Fredrich (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls H.S.), Whitney Heeres (Flushing, Mich./Flushing Senior H.S.), Mindy Marx (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven H.S.) and Jacqui Seidel (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles East H.S.).

   Four of the recruits, Fredrich, Heeres, Marx and Seidel, were recently named to the PrepVolleyball.com 2010 Senior Aces “The 150” list which ranks them among the top 250 recruits in the nation. Baker was named to the “Just Missing” list, meaning she was just outside the top 250.

   “Our staff is ecstatic to add the class of 2010 to our already talented group of returning athletes,” said Boos. “These five recruits are some of the most talented players in the Midwest and will make up one of the top, if not the top, class in the MAC.”

   Baker, a 5-11 outside hitter from Plainfield, Ill., is a four-year letterwinner in volleyball at Plainfield North H.S. for coach Kerri McCastland. A four-time All-Area First Team and All-Southwest Prairie Conference selection, Baker established school records in kills (1,075) and digs (839) while leading Plainfield North to three conference championships.

   As a senior, Baker amassed 293 kills and 290 digs while assisting Plainfield North to a 22-9 overall record en route to her fourth straight team MVP award. A three-year team captain, Baker helped the North to No. 6 rankings in the state in 2007 and 2008.

   Baker also played club volleyball for Club Fusion. With the program, she helped guide her 16 Black team to a Junior Volleyball Association national championship. Her 17 Black team, which also included fellow recruit Seidel, placed third at nationals, with Baker earning a slot on the all-tournament team.

   “Kylee is a tremendous competitor who can play the entire game,” said Boos. “She is a top-level ball handler with a great arm. Through her experience at the elite club and high school levels, Kylee understands what it takes to win. She will bring incredible fire and passion to our team.”

   Baker is the daughter of Bryan and Nancy Baker, and has two sisters. Her sister, Katelyn, also played volleyball at the University of South Carolina Aiken.

   

Fredrich, a 5-10 libero from Menomonee Falls, Wis., is a four-year letterwinner in volleyball at Menomonee Falls H.S. for coach J.C. Bruns. A First Team All-State and First Team All-Conference selection as a junior, Fredrich helped lead the Falls to four conference titles and a pair of state championship runner-up finishes.

   Fredrich, who was named the Player of the Year in the Greater Metro Conference after her junior year, compiled 1,304 digs, 246 kills and 212 aces over her career while helping Falls to a 22-10 record her senior year.

   A two-time team Most Valuable Player, Fredrich also played club volleyball for the Milwaukee Sting. Her 17 Gold team placed fifth at the JVA Nationals.

   

“Catie is extremely gifted and possesses the complete package for a libero,” said Boos. “Her touch as a passer is as good as any player in the Midwest and she should help solidify our passing game. Catie also has a very high volleyball IQ as a defender and makes difficult plays look easy. She is a smooth athlete that is going to add confidence to our squad.”

   Fredrich is the daughter of Robert and Christine Fredrich, and has one brother and one sister.

   

Heeres, a 6-2 outside hitter from Flushing, Mich., is a four-year letterwinner in volleyball at Flushing Senior H.S. for coach Shawn Andrews. A three-time First Team All-Big Nine Conference selection, Heeres holds the school record for career kills at 1,697. Heeres, who helped guide Flushing to 192-36-1 record over her career, was also named to the All-Region team three times and was an All-State selection as a junior.

   Heeres, who was also nominated for the Michigan Miss Volleyball Award her senior season, helped guide the Raiders to four conference championships, four district championships and a regional championship. Over her career, Heeres recorded 1,697 kills, 1,153 digs and 269 aces.

    In addition to her high school career, Heeres played club volleyball for the Michigan Elite Volleyball Club. In 2006 and 2007, her teams qualified for the Junior Olympics. A member of the 14’s, 15’s and 16’s National-1 teams for Michigan Elite VBC, Heeres also earned a spot on the Michigan High Performance Team in the summer of 2006.

  

 “Whitney is going to be a terminating hitter in the MAC,” said Boos. “She possesses great size for an outside hitter and will be a point scorer for us as both an attacker and blocker. Whitney has also put extra work into her ball handling and has become a complete player. We are very fortunate to have Whitney joining us this spring, so I see her being very prepared for the 2010 fall season.”

    Heeres is the daughter of Kevin and Sharon Heeres, and has two sisters. Her sister, Krystal, played volleyball for Kellogg Community College and Olivet College.

   

Marx, a 6-0 middle blocker from Grand Haven, Mich., is a three-year letterwinner in volleyball at Grand Haven H.S. for coach Aaron Smaka. A two-time all-conference selection, Marx smashed a single-season school-record 643 kills her senior year to help guide the Buccaneers to a 45-16 overall record.

   

Marx earned Second Team All-State accolades as a junior after posting a Grand Haven school-record 207 blocks. A two-time all-area and all-region honoree, Marx finished her prep career with 1,378 kills, 516 blocks and 432 digs. She also hit .285 over her career to help guide the Buccaneers to three district championships and a pair of regional finals.

   In addition to volleyball, Marx earned three letters in track and field and one letter in basketball at Grand Haven. She earned First Team All-Conference honors three times in track, while earning all-state honors as a freshman. In basketball, Marx helped guide the program to district, conference and regional championships as a sophomore.

   

“Mindy is the best athlete in our class,” said Boos. “She is extremely fast as a blocker and plays very aggressively. Mindy has a mind frame that she wants to dominate the net and block every attack. As Mindy catches up to the speed of the collegiate game, she is going to become a major force.

   Marx is the daughter of Robert Marx and Mariene Wierenga, and has one sister.

  

 Seidel, a 5-10 setter from St. Charles, Ill., is a three-year letterwinner in volleyball at St. Charles East H.S. for coach Jennie Kull. A two-time All-Conference honoree and a second-team All-State selection as a junior, Seidel led St. Charles East to a state championship her junior year, as well as to three conference titles over her career.

   Named to the All-Area First team in the Daily Herald and Chronicle as a junior, Seidel helped St. Charles East to a 90-24 overall record in three years including a 32-7 mark her senior season. She also helped the Fighting Saints place third in the state her sophomore year.

   In addition to high school, Seidel played club volleyball for Club Fusion. With the program, she helped her 17 Black team place third at JVA nationals and win the PrepVolleyball.com championship alongside fellow recruit Baker.

   

“Jacqui is a volleyball player,” said Boos. “She is a strong, agile athlete who has worked hard to develop into an elite-level volleyball player. Jacqui possesses refined skills as both a setter and attacker as she has been trained in each position during the club and high school seasons. What truly sets Jacqui apart from most players is her competitiveness. She is a winner that leads her team by both her words and actions.”

   Seidel is the daughter of Alan and Roberta Seidel. Her father was a three-sport athlete in soccer, hockey and baseball at Northern Illinois.

 

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