Volleyball Voices

Be Inspired To Play Volleyball Defense Like Hall of Fame Inductee Holly McPeak

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Holly in Hermosa doing what she is famous for.

Olympic Volleyball Silver Medalist Heather Bown's Journey to Happiness: Her Story

Women's Volleyball Olympian Heather Bown

Beijing Women's Volleyball Olympian and Silver Medalist Heather Bown, contributed "her story" exclusively to Volleyball Voices while playing professionally in Italy. 

There are a lot of life lessons and experiences to learn from in Heather's story and maybe...you can find some answers to the self discovery that you may be going through right now... Live and Learn courageously.....april

My Story: Heather Bown 



When I look back on all the things that influenced and helped me to become the person I am today, I never really realized at that point in time that they were good things. The roads traveled, the decisions, good or bad, made. So I guess it’s not so much a story but a journey. A journey that each of us takes, some in different ways than others. However all the same, we make it. It’s what we call life. Our lives are strange that way. In the end it doesn’t matter where you come from or what you have or don’t have. It comes down to the ideas and desires and dreams that you follow through with, and never let go of.

 

I believe that the strongest motivators in our lives are our dreams and our desires. People will do almost anything to get what they want…they will work extra hard, they will give up being with friends, being with family. Sacrifice many of the things that other people may take for granted. In the end they are that much stronger and happier for doing so.

As for myself, my journey with sports started when I was really young. I have an older sister and naturally we had sibling rivalry growing up, so anything she participated in, I was close to follow. We were born and raised in the same town our entire lives. Only moving once, from one side of town to the other…so in that respect I guess I was fortunate in not completely changing my surroundings. 

However, even with that I still found it hard to make friends, I was a bit of a loner in school, never really fitting in. I was always the tallest in my class and for that as you can imagine didn’t fair well with the other kids…I was different, and at that age different wasn’t a good thing. I didn’t understand it then, but I understand it better now. 

My being different set me apart from the others, I had an ability within me that I had not yet learned about. Through my years in elementary and junior high I was usually found playing Hand or Tether ball on the blacktop. I don’t even know if they still play those games now…but my mother always said if there was a game with a ball involved I was playing it. Again, I didn’t see any connection. 

When I got to High School, I once again followed in my sister’s footsteps as I did when I was growing up. She was one year ahead of me in school and she had joined the swim team her freshman year, and I had witnessed how easy it was for her to make friends with her teammates and so I figured I would do the same. It would keep me in my comfort zone. 

So there I was a freshman in high school on the swim team…trying to convert my social phobia into making a good teammate and friend for others. It was hard at first, I was so used to not having many friends to be surrounded by so many people all the time was weird for me. However as the year went by I opened up a little more and made a few good friends which also helped me in the transition from junior high to high school. It was a whole different world. So I continued to swim until my junior year in high school when my life took an unexpected turn. 
You see its strange why certain people are put in your life…the old saying that everyone is here for a reason…yeah well I believe it now. I had become friends with a girl on the swim team that was also on the school volleyball team. We had become almost connected at the hip we did everything together. However when swim season was over she had her volleyball practices to go to, and once again I was left alone. 

High school is a scary place to be when you feel alone. It’s a time in our lives when we are transitioning and questioning everything about us. We seem to be more concerned with what the other kids think of us than what we think of ourselves. We seem to lose sight of the important things. And care more about the superficial ideas and trends of the time. Maybe because I was a bit of a loner I sheltered myself too much, I guess you could call me a nerd if you want.

On the weekends I was at home, I rarely went out I never dated and boys scared the hell out of me. However not always, I mean I had friend from sports, and I could be seen as “one of the guys” but not as a girl they liked. If I had the choice I would choose school over social events. I loved the hard classes like chemistry and physics. I think now it may have been more of an avoidance tactic than anything. If I was busy with sports and school the social scene couldn’t bother me. I had an excuse to not go out. My parents never seemed to notice. It’s funny how we can hide things that are right under their noses. 
So anyhow, the end of my sophomore year in high school I figured I would try out for the JV volleyball team. As you can guess…once again I was the tallest on the team, which in my opinion was the only reason I made the team. I mean I was horrible; I couldn’t even pass a ball. I didn’t know the footwork for anything. All of the girls that were there had played club volleyball. I mean I was 16 years old and I was just for the first time picking up a volleyball and playing with girls that had been playing for at least 3 years if not more. I was ridiculously intimidated. My self confidence, which was never high to begin with, fell through the floor. However, I kept trying.

So my junior year I competed on the JV team and had fun, it was so much different from swimming. I mean I could actually talk to other people during practice…swimming was way too difficult, my face always being in the water and all, you could understand. The season flew by and I struggled a lot, but enjoyed myself enough to want to keep at it. However my love was still in swimming. 

It wasn’t until I made the decision to join a club in my area that things really started to fall into place for my path in life. As many of you know with Club ball you travel to different tournaments and many college coaches have the opportunity to see all different levels of players. From beginners to advanced and all of us in between. As you can guess I was in the beginner category. 

When I returned to High school volleyball the next year (my senior year) they had to put me on the Varsity team because of my age. Now I was excited to be on the team and be able to contribute somehow. So I would go to practice everyday and give my best…even though I was still in the learning phase of that game.

However, I still say that now and it has been 12 years. Nonetheless I learn new things everyday, and I believe that the day I stop learning is the day I retire from the sport. 

Anyhow, I honestly can not tell you what brought up the conference between myself and my coach one day, but we had a meeting and in that meeting I heard some of the harshest but at the same time motivating words I think I have ever received in my career. 

Now when you are a young player still trying to figure out what you are doing on the court, you really would like to have some support from those that are you superiors, but on this day support was definitely not what I was going to get. In the course of the conversation I was told “you will never be a division one player”. Now he was referring to Division One in High School. In other words, making me doubt myself and my reasons for being on the team. I don’t think I have to tell you that in about 0.1 seconds I started to cry, and cry, and cry. I couldn’t believe it. I mean you go through life with disappointments, and believe me I had had some good ones. However, I wasn’t expecting that from him. So I had to deal with it. I never really understood until the day I started getting letters from schools that were interested in me to come play for them. 

Now up to this point I had never even thought about going to college. After the harsh words spoken to me I made a pact with myself that I would do everything in my power to prove him wrong. I would be a Division One player, I would be worth something to the team. So with the letters came also requests to come see me play. 

Well you can imagine this posed a bit of a problem, seeing as I never got to play on my high school team. So a coach had contacted my coach to let him and I know he would be attending a game, and gave the exact date of the game he would be attending. So that day comes and you would think that maybe my coach would allow me to play just a few minutes so that the college coach could see what I had to offer…No. not one minute of the game. This coach had driven 3.5 hours to my school to see me play and I sat the entire time. I was devastated, totally lost on the concept that my coach could not allow me the chance to go to college and play. I thought it was all over. Maybe he was right maybe I couldn’t be a D1 player. 

But after the game in the parking lot the college volleyball coach said something to me that turned my life around. He said to me that he didn’t have to see me play, that even in warm ups he could see that I was something special. Then he handed me a phone number to call when I got home. It was the Number to the Head Coach of the University…a real D1 University. I was so nervous to make that call; I had no idea what to say. Sometimes the words (would) just come.

So I was off to play in college, my freshman year went as fast a lightening. The transition in playing and learning, and all the new experiences. I was again lost…the only thing I had that was the same was volleyball. So I buried myself in the game and my workouts and tried to learn as much as I could in the short time I had before season started. I still felt so behind everyone else…so it was natural when I didn’t get recognized for things, I would just continue my preparation as if nothing happened, but in my heart I was dying for someone to say hey…"Great job Heather". 

It wasn’t until the end of my freshman year when another bomb was dropped on my dreams, almost shattering them again. I had gone into my end of year meeting with the coaches and we had a talk, within the course of the meeting I had mentioned that I wanted them to train me for the 2000 Olympics. I wanted to go to the Olympics! The response I received from one of the coaches was “Don’t set your hopes too high”. Don’t set you hopes too high?!?!?! I was crushed…maybe I had delivered the proposition in the wrong manner…but I was asking for help to become the best player I could be…and I got shot down. 

So with a deflated heart I competed another season with the same team, but just could not get myself to really feel alive. So after my sophomore year I transferred schools. Leaving my home state and going quite a bit further than I had ever been before for school and volleyball. 

When I arrived to my new home… I hated it… I regretted leaving what I had, and thought maybe I had made the biggest mistake of my life. However, as time always does it showed me that my taking the initiative and moving out of my comfort zone was something that I needed to help me grow. So I was off and running with a new team and a new air about me. I felt free and alive.

After my junior season I was given the opportunity to try out with the national team…my New Coach had arranged for me to be a part of a tryout. I think I almost fainted when he told me, I was terrified. How was I supposed to be able to play with those girls? They were all so experienced and, well… really, really good. I was… well…not those things. So the day of the tryout came and I didn’t even know what my name was I was so nervous. I couldn’t believe that I was actually there…having the chance to be looked at by the national team. 

So I made the best of it and just did what I could. Hoping, and praying that it was enough. At the end of the day, I was fortunate enough to be selected to be a part of a group that trained for the World University Games Team in ’99. At that point I thought the hard part was over…but I was way wrong. 

Even though in college I was somewhat successful when I got to the national team is was a whole different ballgame, actually it wasn’t even the national team it was the WUG (World University Games)team. I was told I had to lose weight and I couldn’t eat certain foods, I had to drink nothing but water. I mean it was horrible. I had never been flat out told I was overweight. I had always just kind of accepted the fact that I was never going to be skinny like the other players, but it was finally ok with me. I was just comfortable in my skin and I was being told I was not the right image. I couldn’t do it. I began to play badly because I wasn’t happy. My secret has always been that I am happiest when I am playing because I feel free. I was no longer free. I was encaged in an image process. That I didn’t know how to be. 

So needless to say that summer was the hardest on me psychologically. I had to really get to know me for me and really love who I was in order to make it through. I learned that there are a lot of people out there that believe they know what is best for everyone, when the only person out there that can really answer that question for you is the one that looks you in the mirror every morning. No one else. 

You may think things turned all happy and pink once I was on the national team for good. This occurred in Feb of 2000. I left School early, not finishing my degree, and moved to Colorado Springs full time to live and train. Although my confidence grew the more practice I had in both my personal life and professional, I had one more bump to pass over before I was in the clear…it came in the summer of 2001. 

I was told by one of my national team coaches that “I thought I was better than I really am on the court”. Now if you can tell me what player in the world can succeed without believing in themselves…since in the past I had learned that I am the only one who can 100%, I would be open to learn. Now this cut me like a knife. I was not expecting it from a coach of mine at this level. 

So once again I had to dig deep and confront the ugly monster that was once again stirring. All that I had worked so hard for was demolished in a split second. My self doubt was again in the forefront of my mind. It seems as though no matter where you go or what you do in life there will always be obstacles…be it people or things that will cause you to stop and debate if you are really on the right path in life. 

It’s those moments when we really see what we are made of… I had three very defining points when I had to question myself and if it was really worth it. I could have easily listened to others and packed up and gone home…or never even tried in the first place, but I did. 

Today I am writing to you from an apartment in Italy where I have been fortunate enough to have spent the last 7 years of my life playing professionally. I have traveled the world and been exposed to different cultures, people, and sights. I have grown up with the world as opposed in the world. None of that would have been possible had I not believed first in myself and loved myself enough to venture away from what was comfortable and easy for me to do. 

Challenging myself and pushing myself whether it was on the court, or in the classroom, or in life in general. Like I said before Life is funny that way… you never really know what you are going to be faced with and what will come of it…but just remember, even in the darkest moments of your life something good will come from it. 

Just believe that and even if you mess up every once in a while it doesn’t always mean the end of the road; it just means you have to make your own path for a while and who knows what you might find. Sometimes the best things in life are unexpected gifts. So I wish all of you a good journey…and maybe our paths will cross sometime. 

Aloha- Heather Bown

AVCA College Volleyball Player Awards and Honors: Naomi Washington named All-America for the second consecutive year

LONG BEACH, Calif. – 49er outside hitter Naomi Washington earned Honorable Mention All-America honors after leading Long Beach State to a second-straight Big West title in 2009, as announced by the American Volleyball Coaches Association today.

 

                Washington also won the award last season, making her the 17th player in Long Beach State history to be a two-time All-American.

 

                Washington, a senior outside hitter from New Orleans, La., led the 49ers in kills with 464 on the season and averaged 4.14 kills per set, a mark that was third in the Big West and ranked 38th nationally. Additionally, she was second on the team in hitting with a .269 percentage and made 66 blocks on the year.

 

                Over the course of the season, Washington had over 20 kills on eight occasions, including a career high of 29 in a win over Tulane in New Orleans. She was twice named the Big West Player of the Week, and also earned first-team All-Big West and AVCA All-Region honors.

 

                In the final regular season match, Washington also passed 1,000 kills over her career, becoming the 15th player in Long Beach State history to reach that milestone.

AVCA College Volleyball Player Awards and Honors: Ashley Benson Becomes First All-American in Program History

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Junior middle blocker Ashley Benson is officially the first All-American in IU Volleyball history, announced by the American Volleyball Coaches of America on Wednesday. She was named Third-Team All-America.


"There is no single individual honor more prestigious than being named to one of the All-America teams," said Head Coach Sherry Dunbar. "To be the first in Indiana Volleyball history adds to how special that award is to Ashley and our program. I'm very proud of Ashley for her commitment to this team, this program, and Indiana University."

The Bloomington, Ind., native was a unanimous All-Big Ten selection a few weeks ago, and was among the country's best in hitting percentage, blocks and points per set. She put together one of the most dominant seasons in the league both offensively and defensively. In addition to shattering the IU record for season hitting efficiency with her .361 efficiency, Benson could be found all over the Big Ten's statistical leaders as well. That .361 attack percentage slotted her fourth in the conference and 29th nationally. The 6-foot-3 middle blocker also cracked the top-10 in kills, blocks, points and service aces:

6th with 1.18 blocks per set (49th nationally)
7th with 4.24 points per set
8th with 3.32 kills per set
9th with 0.26 aces per set

In just three years leading the IU Volleyball program, Coach Dunbar has guided two Hoosiers to national recognition. Erica Short became just the second Hoosier to earn All-America Honorable Mention honors in 2008.

Hoosiers With National Recognition:
Ashley Benson (2009), Third Team All-America
Erica Short (2008), All-America Honorable Mention
Karen Dunham (1985), All-America Honorable Mention

College Volleyball Coach Awards and Honors: Anne Kordes Receives Carl O. Bauer Award

 ST. LOUIS – Saint Louis head volleyball coach Anne Kordes has been named the 2009 recipient of the Carl O. Bauer Award presented by the Missouri Athletic Club. The award, which was established in 1978, is presented annually to the top amateur sports figure in the St. Louis area. Kordes will receive her award at the 40th annual Jack Buck Awards Banquet Thursday, Dec. 17, at the Missouri Athletic Club in downtown St. Louis. The proceedings will be broadcast live on KMOX radio. 

 

         Kordes has guided the SLU volleyball program to unparalleled success, including threeNCAA Tournament appearances and Atlantic 10 regular-season titles in the last four seasons as well as two A-10 Championship crowns. The Billikens broke into the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) top 25 for the first time Oct. 20, 2008, and have remained in the top 25 ever since. In 2008, Kordes led Saint Louis to another milestone – its first NCAA Tournament victory in only its second tournament match. That year, the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association selected her squad as the “All-Sports Trophy Champion” as the top I-AAA women’s volleyball program in the nation.  

 

         Kordes has been named A-10 Coach of the Year three times. In 2008, she earned CVU.com (Collegiate Volleyball Update) National Coach of the Year honors, was named AVCA Northeast Region Coach of the Year and was a finalist for AVCA National Coach of the Year accolades. Kordes’ career record is 127-62 in six seasons at Saint Louis, her only Division I head coaching stop. She is the only coach in Billiken volleyball annals to pilot her team to four consecutive 20-win campaigns.

       

         Kordes is the ninth person from Saint Louis University to receive the Carl O. Bauer Award, which is named in honor of the MAC’s Athletic Director who brought innovation and inspiration to the Club during his 45 years of service. Former Billikens who received the honor are Cheryl Levick (2006), Marque Perry (2003), Doug Woolard (2002), Larry Hughes (1998), Erwin Claggett, Scott Highmark and H Waldman (1995), and Anthony Bonner (1990).

 

        

AVCA College Volleyball Player Awards and Honors: LSU Volleyball's Cooper Awarded AVCA All-America First-Team Honors

TAMPA, Fla. – LSU middle blocker Brittnee Cooper continued to rack up accolades Wednesday as the 2009 SEC Player of the Year earned American Volleyball Coaches Association [AVCA] First-Team All-America honors. She joins Monique Adams [1990 & 1991] and Angie Miller [1992] as the only Tigers selected to this prestigious honor in program history.

 

Cooper is one of 14 players to pick up AVCA All-America First-Team status. 

“This is such a wonderful honor for Brittnee,” head coach Fran Flory said. “As I reflect on how far she has come during her career, it’s such a fitting finish to have her recognized on the AVCA All-American First Team. She has gone from being a great athlete to being a great volleyball player this season. We’re so proud that she has been recognized on the national level for her hard work and dedication.”

 

Cooper connected for a team-high 410 kills on an astonishing .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 anchored LSU’s front row defense as the Tigers recorded 2.75 blocks per set en route to a No. 12 national ranking. Cooper’s 1.37 blocks per frame not only headlined the SEC but was No. 18 nationally.  She tallied at least five blocks on 15 occasions and finished fifth on the program’s all-time list with 495 total stuffs.  

 

Outside hitter Marina Skender and setter Sam Dabbs also notched AVCA All-America Honorable Mention after being named AVCA All-South Region last week.

 

LSU put together an impressive 25-7 record in 2009 en route to the program’s first SEC regular season title since 1991. Under Flory, the defending five-time SEC Western Division champions are one of only 20 programs in the nation to appear in the last five NCAA Tournaments. 

 

 

2009 AVCA First-Team All-America

Player                                   School                                  Pos                         Yr.          Hometown

Blair Brown                         Penn State                          RS/Opp                Jr.           Purcellville, Va.

Brittnee Cooper               LSU                                        MB                         Sr.           Houston, Texas

Hana Cutura                       California                             OH                          Sr.           Zagreb, Croatia

Kanani Danielson             Hawai`i                                 OH                          So.          Ewa Beach, Hawai`i

Laura DeBruler                  Illinois                                   OH                          Jr.           Downers Grove, Ill.

Ashley Engle                      Texas                                    S/H                         Sr.           Yorba Linda, Calif.

Lauren Gibbemeyer       Minnesota                          MB                         Jr.           St. Paul, Minn.

Alisha Glass                        Penn State                          S                              Sr.           Leland, Mich.

Megan Hodge                   Penn State                          OH                          Sr.           Durham, N.C.

Desitnee Hooker              Texas                                    OH                          Sr.           San Antonio, Texas

Cassidy Lichtman              Stanford                              S/H                         Jr.           Poway, Calif.

Ashley Mass                       Iowa State                          L                              Jr.           Muskego, Wisc.

Arielle Wilson                    Penn State                          MB                         Jr.           Broadview, Ill.

Lexi Zimmerman              Michigan                              S                              Jr.           Barrington, Ill.

 

 

Volleyball Sandals: Ed Hardy Flip Flops: Volleyball Gifts

AVCA College Volleyball Player Awards and Honors: Temple Volleyball's Yun Yi Zhang Earns AVCA All-America Honorable Mention

NCAA Volleyball D-I Kill Leader Temple Volleyball's Yun Yi Zhang Earns 

AVCA All-America Honorable Mention

Awards keep piling up for senior outside hitter who led NCAA Division I in kills

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Yun Yi Zhang has earned the first-ever AVCA All-America recognition for Temple volleyball, taking home honorable mention honors after a truly outstanding senior season.

The postseason award is the first in nine years for the Owls' program, since Alma Kovaci earned Asics All-American honorable mention in 2000.

Zhang, who led NCAA Division I in kills per set this year, had already earned AVCA All-Region Honors in the Northeast Region. As a junior, Zhang earned all-region honorable mention honors.

Zhang’s 5.55 kills per set were tops in the nation as she helped the Owls to a 14-12 record and an appearance in the Atlantic 10 Tournament semifinal against nationally-ranked Dayton.

At the conference level, Zhang was named to the A-10 First Team after earning second team honors a year ago. She was a two-time A-10 Player of the Week this season, and finished her Temple career with 1,656 kills to rank third all-time in the history of the program.

AVCA College Volleyball Player Awards and Honors: Saint Louis University Volleyball: Three Billikens Achieve AVCA All-America Honorable Mention Status

Fonke, McCloud, Roth recognized for second consecutive season 

 

         ST. LOUIS – Saint Louis had three players achieve All-America status Wednesday when seniors  Bridget Fonke (St. Louis, Mo. / St. Joseph’s), Sammi McCloud (Columbia, Ill. / Columbia) and Whitney Roth (Louisville, Ky. / Assumption) picked up American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America honorable mention plaudits. It is the second straight season that the trio received the distinction.      

 

       Fonke, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter, earned her second consecutive Atlantic 10 Conference first-team accolade in 2009 after leading the Billikens with 3.43 kills per set, 45 service aces and 20 solo blocks. She finished the league slate ranked among the A-10’s top 10 in kills, service aces, points per set and hitting percentage. Fonke, a 2008 AVCA All-America honorable mention selection, ranks 35th in the nation with 0.42 service aces per set through matches of Dec. 13. She completed her career second on the program’s career service aces list (155) and eighth in career kills (1,274).     

 

         McCloud, who garnered A-10 Player of the Year laurels in 2008 and 2009, is just the fifth player in program annals who is a member of both the 1,000-kills and 1,000-digs clubs. The three-time A-10 first-team pick led the Billikens with 3.52 kills per set, 31 blocks and a .317 hitting percentage in league matches this season. She ranked among the conference’s top 10 in kills, service aces, points per set and hitting percentage. Last season, McCloud became the first Billiken named to one of the three AVCA All-America squads when she was named to the third team. She also achieved Under Armour/Volleyball Magazine All-America honorable mention status in 2008. McCloud finished her career as one of just three Billikens ranked among the program’s top 10 in five statistical categories. She is fifth with 1,418 career kills, sixth with 1,143 digs, eighth with 119 service aces and ninth with 246 block assists and 268 total blocks.     

 

         Roth, a 5-foot-9 setter, is the only player in league history to garner A-10 Setter of the Year honors three times (2007-09). She led the A-10 with 11.76 assists per set in conference tilts, while averaging a league-high 11.24 assists per set in all matches. A 2008 AVCA All-America honorable mention designee, Roth was also second on the SLU squad with 2.73 digs per set. Saint Louis’ career assists leader (5,463) also became a member of the program’s 1,000-digs club in her final match. Roth is also fourth in program annals with 126 career matches played. The three-time A-10 first-team selection ranks 22nd in the nation in assists per set through matches of Dec. 13. Additionally, Roth was named to the 2009 A-10 All-Academic team and captured ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District second team plaudits. 

AVCA College Volleyball Player Awards and Honors: FIU Volleyball: Rosa, Valentin & Bjelica Earn AVCA All-America Honors

The three picks mark a program-best as Rosa becomes FIU’s first ever four-time All-American

 

 

MIAMI – Three FIU volleyball players earned AVCA All-America honors on Wednesday, as senior Yarimar Rosa, junior Natalia Valentin and freshman Jovana Bjelica became the first trio in FIU volleyball history to garner All-America accolades. The awards will be presented on Dec. 18, 2009, at the AVCA All-America/Players of the Year Banquet presented by Zamst at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Fla.

 

Prior to this season’s All-America Honorable Mention selections, Rosa was the only volleyball player in FIU history to receive All-America recognition as the 2009 honor marks the fourth of her career. She is now the only four-time All-American in school history across all sports.

 

“I am thrilled to have three of our players named 2009 AVCA All-Americans,” said head coachDanijela Tomic. “It just shows how far our program has come in the last five years.”

 

Rosa ended 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-SBC and All-South Region 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 after leading the nation in kills per set.

 

“Yarimar was our first All-American four years ago, and with the fourth honor this year, she’s accomplished what no other athlete at FIU has ever done,” said Tomic. “She’s set so many records at FIU and in the Sun Belt Conference, but to be FIU’s first ever four-time All-American in any sport is something special. Nobody is more deserving than her, and the legacy that she leaves at FIU is extraordinary.”

 

Valentin 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 in 2009. Valentin ended the Sun Belt Conference regular season ranked first in the assists per set category and she ranks among the top 10 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 her first career All-South Region nod this year while also garnering first team All-SBC accolades. She was named to the All-SBC second team in 2008.

 

“Natalia is so deserving of this honor and I am glad that the committee has recognized that,” said Tomic. “Without her passion and leadership, I don’t think we would have had the best season in the history of the program.”

 

Bjelica 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, in 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 and an honorable mention All-South Region pick.

 

“Jovana is the first freshman after Yarimar [Rosa] to be named an All-American, and it is a huge honor for her and for our program,” said Tomic. “She had a stellar freshman year and if she stays focused and continues improving, she has a potential to be our second four-time All-American student-athlete.”

 

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.

 

 

 

AVCA College Volleyball Player Awards: Five Mountain West Conference Student-Athletes named AVCA ALL-AMERICA

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The 2009 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America teams were announced today, with five Mountain West Conference student-athletes earning accolades. Colorado State’s Danielle Minch (Jr., OH), New Mexico’s Taylor Hadfield (Jr., RS/Opp.) and TCU’s Kourtney Edwards (Sr., MB), Christy Hudson (Jr., RS/Opp.) and Megan Munce (So., S) nabbed honorable mention All-American acclaim. Since 1999, 15 student-athletes have garnered All-America status, while an additional 22 have been honorable mention All-Americans.

Minch, the 2009 MWC Player of the Year, earned her first nod as a honorable mention All-American after finishing the season leading the league in kills per set in overall and Conference matches (3.80). She also led the MWC in points per set in overall matches (4.17), while finishing Conference play ranked third in the category (4.16). Minch tallied double-digit kills in 23 matches this season and was honored as the MWC Player of the Week on November 16.

Hadfield, a Corte Madera, Calif., product, garnered her first honorable mention All-American recognition.  In Conference play this season, she finished seventh in kills per set (2.98) and points per set (3.41), while ranking ninth in hitting percentage (.303). Overall, Hadfield ranked 10^th in points per set (3.12), while placing in the top-15 in kills per set (13^th, 2.63) and hitting percentage (15^th, .252). Hadfield was also named to the all-Conference team this season.

Edwards, a Haltom City, Texas, product, is a first-time honorable mention All-American honoree. In overall matches, she led the Conference and is currently ranked 18^th nationally in hitting percentage (.373) this season. She also ranked 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, also earned the first honorable mention All-American accolade of her career. She finished the 2009 season ranked 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, led the MWC in service aces per set in overall (0.42) and Conference matches (0.57), while ranking fourth in assists per set in overall (9.94) and league play (10.12) in 2009. Nationally, she currently ranks 33^rd in aces per set. She also topped the MWC with 13 double-doubles on the season. Munce was named to the all-Conference team this season and was voted as the MWC Player of the Week on October 26.

 

--mwc--

 

Baylor Volleyball Ranked No. 20 in Final Poll, Makes Sweet 16, Receives All America Awards, Firsts In Program History

Baylor College Volleyball Team Ranked No. 20 in Final Poll

Baylor earns Sweet 16 appearance and All-America awards for the first time in program history

 

WACO, Texas – Capping a historic season, Baylor’s college volleyball team was ranked No. 20 in the final poll released on Tuesday by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

 

The Bears (24-10, 11-9 Big 12), who reached as high as 17^th during a school-record nine-week stretch of earning a top 25 ranking, finish the season ranked for just the second time in program history. Baylor’s NCAA Tournament run to finish the year included a sweep of Georgia Tech and an upset of eighth-seeded UCLA in Los Angeles, before coming to a halt against ninth-seeded California.

 

BU began the season with a school-record 11-match win streak, going on to win 17 of its first 18 matches. The stretch included a 3-0 sweep over Iowa State, who finished the season ranked sixth in the nation. At the time, ISU was ranked 11^th, which stood as the highest-ranked win ever for BU, until the Bears pulled off the upset of ninth-ranked UCLA. The Bears defeated four Top 25 opponents during the season, also including No. 24 Purdue and at No. 23 Texas A&M.

 

Individually, senior setter Taylor Barnes and senior middle blocker Anna Breyfogle became the first All-Americans in program history when they were named to the AVCA All-America Honorable Mention. Both earned all-Big 12 and all-region honors, while Breyfogle was named the Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Year. Freshman middle blocker Torri Campbell was named to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team.

 

 

 

College Volleyball Player Awards and Honors: PEPPERDINE Volleyball Kim Hill Named To AVCA All-American Honorable Mention Team

MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine women’s volleyball player Kim Hill added her biggest honor yet to a growing list as she was named to the AVCA All-American honorable mention team today.

 

Hill (Portland, Ore./Portland Christian HS), a sophomore middle blocker, was previously named to the AVCA All-Pacific Region honorable mention squad and 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. Hill’s 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.

 

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

 

AVCA College Volleyball Player Awards: PAIR OF LADY VOLS EARN AVCA HONORABLE MENTION ALL-AMERICA ACCLAIM

The Award is the Second of Fowler’s Career, First for Goldman

 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of Tennessee senior libero Chloe Goldman became the 10th All-American in school history on Wednesday as she joined junior outside hitter Nikki Fowler in garnering honorable mention honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association. The award is the second for Fowler who also took home the accolades as a sophomore last year, while it marks the first for Goldman.

                                     

After having just two All-Americans in the first 45 years of the program, the Lady Vols have now had at least one selection in five of the past six seasons. Goldman joins an impressive group of former UT players that includes Beverly Robinson (1982), April Chapple (1984), Michelle Piantadosi (2004), Kristen Andre (2004, 2005), Julie Knytych (2004, 2005), Amy Morris (2004, 2005), Yuliya Stoyanova (2005, 2006), Sarah Blum (2006) and Fowler (2008, 2009).

 

An AVCA All-South Region honoree, the 2009 Southeastern Conference Libero of the Year and an 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 her collegiate career 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 and member of the AVCA All-South region squad was also named to the All-SEC First Team for the second straight year 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.

 

A complete list of the 2008 AVCA All-America selections can be found at http://www.avca.org/awards/divisional-/division-one-all-america.

 

##LADY VOL VOLLEYBALL##

 

 

AVCA College Volleyball Player Awards and Honors: Baylor Volleyball's Taylor Barnes Named First All-American In School History

Setter becomes first All-American in program history

 

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Senior setter Taylor Barnes added to her list of accomplishments becoming the first All-American in Baylor volleyball history, as announced by the American Volleyball Coaches Association on Wednesday. Barnes was named to the Honorable Mention team.

 

Barnes, a two-time all-Central region and two-time all-Big 12 performer, earned her first All-America honor after a record-breaking season.

 

Barnes, a setter from Arlington, Texas, racked up 10 double-doubles and two triple-doubles on the season, while also leading the Bears in assists in every match. She ranked sixth in the league with 10.72 assists per set, while also having Baylor’s second-highest hitting percentage of .325. Barnes ranked third on the team in digs with 2.45 per set, while also tallying 60 block assists.

 

She also broke two of Baylor’s longest standing records. Barnes surpassed Dana Chuha’s all-time Baylor assists record of 4,955 set in 2001, becoming the first in program history to top 5,000. Later, the talented jump-server broke the BU and Big 12 all-time record for career services with 205. The previous Baylor record of 195 was set by Cory Sivertson in 1994.

 

Barnes helped lead the Bears to their third NCAA Tournament appearance and the first-ever Sweet 16 in program history with defeats of Georgia Tech and eighth-seeded UCLA in the first two rounds. Baylor then fell to ninth-seeded California to finish the season with a 24-10 record. The win total marks the fourth-highest in a single-season in school history.

 

 

 

AVCA College Volleyball Player Awards and Honors: Kentucky Volleyball Has Three All-Americans, Rumely a Second Team Selection

Mendoza and Sauer earn honorable mention honors for the first time in their careers

 

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Three University of Kentucky volleyball players have earned All-America distinction including senior Sarah Rumely who claimed second-team All-America honors it was announced by the American Volleyball Coaches Association Wednesday. Senior BriAnne Sauer and junior Sarah Mendoza captured honorable mention honors for the first time in their careers.

 

After a 29-5 season and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen, Kentucky is honored with its first trio of All-Americans in school history. Previously, Marsha Bond and Karolyn Kirby acquired the distinction together in 1983 and then a season ago Rumely and Queen Nzenwa were honorable mention selections for just the second pair of Wildcats to earn All-America honors in the same season.

 

Rumely becomes the fourth Wildcat in school allure to attain second team All-America distinction and the first since Jane Belanger in 1993. Rumely is just the third player in school history to earn All-America honors in multiple seasons following Bond and Nzenwa as the others.

 

“Sarah has worked unselfishly hard during her career for the betterment of herself and this program,” Skinner said. “This season we excelled offensively and this honor is well deserved.” 

 

Rumely helped direct an offense that ranked tops in the Southeastern Conference and among the top-10 leaders in the nation. Kentucky charted 14.74 kills per frame which led the SEC and ranked seventh in the nation. Rumely herself dished out 11.87 assists per set which also topped the conference and was the eighth highest total in the country. The Wildcats had five players average over two kills per stanza and the squad accounted for a .279 hitting percentage which ranked 10^th in the nation.

 

The senior from New Palestine, Ind., is a versatile player as well as she broke into the UK all-time career chart list in block assists and digs on top of breaking the school record for career assists (5,703) and aces (165). Rumely’s career assists clip also ranks as the fifth most in Southeastern Conference history.

 

For the first time in their careers Sauer and Mendoza are All-Americans becoming the eighth and ninth members of Kentucky’s list of All-Americans in school history.

 

“BriAnne and Sarah had a major impact on our success this year,” Skinner said. “Their games went to new levels and it showed on the court.”

 

Sauer, a senior from Louisville, Ky., captured the single season school record with 580 digs surpassing the previous clip set at 563 and ranked in the top three in the conference all season long with an average of 4.60 scoops per set. Sauer also will round out her career with the second highest total in career digs and the ninth most in SEC history with 1,634. This season she also tallied a career-high 35-dig performance against Tennessee to become the first UK player to pick up 35 or more scoops in a match in three years. For her career, Sauer had 28 career matches with 20 or more digs – with 11 of them coming in her final season.

 

Mendoza had a break-out junior season leading the SEC with 4.12 kills per set, ranking 40^th in the nation in that category. Mendoza charted 519 kills on the season which is the fourth highest total in a single UK season. The junior from Winter Park, Fla., struck for 20 or more kills on a career-best five occasions in her junior season and set a career-high mark with 26 against Louisville. Earlier in the year she became just the 13^th player in school history to reach over 1,000 kills in her career. Mendoza’s .238 hitting percentage and 63 blocks are also career-high totals. She averaged a team-best 4.61 points per frame.

 

Stay tuned to UKathletics.com for the most up-to-date information regarding the UK volleyball team.

 

 

AVCA College Volleyball Player Awards: PESTOLESI, PIGGOTT EARN AVCA HONORABLE MENTION ALL-AMERICA HONORS

IRVINE, Calif. --- Kari Pestolesi (Huntington Beach/Edison HS) and Juliane Piggott (Newport Beach/UCLA) were named AVCA honorable mention All-Americans, giving UC Irvine two honorees for the first time in program history.

 

Pestolesi earned the accolade after leading the team in kills with 437 and a 3.87 average. The outside hitter also topped the team in aces with 41 and was second in digs with 442. Pestolesi concluded the season ranked 53^rd in points per set at 4.47, 68^th in the nation in kill average and 77^th in aces per set at 0.36. She was among the top 10 in the Big West in kills, aces and digs the entire season and went on to collect her third All-Big West first-team nod. Pestolesi, a three-time AVCA All-West region honoree, earns her first All-America distinction.

 

Piggott earned her first All-America recognition after a solid first season with the Anteaters. The junior outside hitter posted 353 kills and was 10^th in the Big West with a 3.15 kill average. She had a team-high 13 solo blocks to go along with 39 block assists, finishing the season fourth in total blocks while adding 26 aces and 198 digs. Piggott recorded a career-high 27 kills in the Big West Conference title match against Long Beach State while blasting a personal-best .538 hitting percentage in an errorless performance against Northeastern.

 

 

AVCA College Volleyball Player Awards and Honors: Texas Volleyball lands three on AVCA All-America teams

Senior Ashley Engle, senior Destinee Hooker and junior Juliann Faucette earn spots on the 2009 AVCA All-America teams.

TAMPA, Fla. – The second-ranked Texas Volleyball team has placed three players on the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Teams for the fourth straight season.

 

Senior setter/opposite hitter Ashley Engle and senior outside hitter Destinee Hooker represent Texas on the first team, while junior outside hitter Juliann Faucette earned third-team accolades. The honors is the fourth All-America honor of Hooker’s career (2008 first team, 2007 second team, 2006 honorable mention), Engle’s third (2008 first team, 2006 second team) and Faucette’s second (2007 first team).

 

Each of the three AVCA All-America Teams is comprised of 14 athletes. The Division I AVCA National Player of the Year will be announced on Dec. 18 at the AVCA All-America/Players of the Year Banquet in Omaha.

 

Engle, a Yorba Linda, Calif., native earned first-team honors for the second straight year after notching All-Central Region First Team and All-Big 12 First Team accolades. The senior paces the UT offense with 1.84 kills, 8.86 assists, 2.02 digs and 0.63 blocks per-set, while hitting .344 and setting the Horns to a .341 team mark.

 

Hooker, a San Antonio, Texas, native grabbed first-team All-America honors for the second time in her career. The senior has already been named AVCA All-Central Region First Team, All-Big 12 First Team and Big 12 Player of the Year. Hooker paced the Longhorns attack in 2009, averaging a team-best 4.95 kills and an NCAA-best 5.99 points per-set. She ranks second in the Big 12 with a .362 attack mark and leads her Texas squad with a team-best 44 service aces.

 

Faucette earned third-team accolades and her third postseason honor after claiming AVCA All-Region First Team and All-Big 12 First Team honors. The San Diego, Calif., native ranks second on the squad with 3.23 kills per-set, while hitting .288 for the year and .340 since moving to the right side. Faucette has averaged 1.56 digs and 0.61 blocks per-set in 2009.

 

The Longhorns are currently 28-1 and are making their second-straight NCAA Semifinal appearance this week. Texas earned its third straight Big 12 Conference title in 2009, marking its first outright conference crown since 1997.

 

Complete All-America list at

http://www.avca.org/awards/divisional-/division-one-all-america/

 

 

 

Hook'em

AVCA College Volleyball Player Awards: University of Dayton Lindsay Fletemeier Named Third Team All-American By AVCA

Fletemier Gets The Nod As An AVCA All-American

TAMPA, Fla. – University of Dayton middle blocker and Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Year Lindsay Fletemier continues to add to her 2009 accolades. The 6-foot-6 junior from Garden City, Mich. was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s All-America Third Team today at the annual coaches convention.

"Lindsay has worked hard to take her game to another level.  She had a great season and had her best matches against the better teams that we went up against,” Dayton head coach Kelly Sheffield said.  “This is a great honor for her, her teammates who helped her get this and the University of Dayton."

Last week, she was named to the AVCA Northeast All-Region Team for the second consecutive season. It is also the second time she has been awarded All-American status by the AVCA, she was an honorable mention in 2008.

The 2009 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, Fletemier is the second student-athlete in Flyer volleyball history to be recognized nationally by the AVCA in multiple years. The last person to achieve that honor was Faye Barhorst who was Honorable Mention All-American from 2004 to 2006.

Fletemier finished the season averaging 3.47 kills per set and posted a .389 attack efficiency. She ranks eighth in program history with 1,223 kills and fourth in block assists with 331. In addition, Fletemier was named Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Year this season.

The Flyers have had an All-American each season since 2003. Erin Treadway (2003), Christy Utnage (2004), Faye Barhorst (2004, 2005, 2006), Jamie-Lee Richards (2007), Erin Schroeder (2007) were each named Honorable Mention All-American. Ann Meyers is the only UD volleyball player to be named to the First Team, when she earned the honor in 1979.

Fletemier will be honored at the AVCA Banquet at the NCAA Volleyball Final Four in Tampa, Fla. She will be introduced with all of the All-American honorees during the national championship match on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Dayton advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Flyers earned their sixth tournament berth in seven years after defeating then-No. 20 Saint Louis for the Atlantic 10 Championship. In addition, they completed their second 30-win season in three years, posting a 30-4 record.

-UD-

AVCA College Volleyball Player Awards: UCLA Women's Volleyball: Cook Earns AVCA National Freshman of the Year Honors, Gil and Sather Named to All-America Team

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Lauren Cook became the first Bruin to earn AVCA National Freshman of the Year honors on Wednesday, while sophomore Amanda Gil (second team) and senior Kaitlin Sather (honorable mention) were each named to the AVCA All-America Team. 

UCLA Women's Volleyball: Cook Earns AVCA National Freshman of the Year Honors, Gil and Sather Named to All-America Team

Cook, who was also named AVCA Pacific Region and Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, is the first UCLA player to earn the National honor since the award’s inception in 2002. Gil and Sather both received their first All-America honors and bring UCLA’s AVCA All-America award total to 42 since 1981. 

The awards will be presented on Friday at the AVCA All-America/Players of the Year Banquet presented by Zamst at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Fla. 

Cook led 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 second in the nation. An All-Pacific Region and 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 (Dec. 5). 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-America, 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. 

--- UCLABRUINS.COM ---