Nov. 23, 2005
DENVER - The Western Athletic Conference 2005 postseason award winners were announced today as selected by the league's head coaches.
Hawai`i setter Kanoe Kamana`o was named the WAC Player of the Year. This is the second-straight player of the year honor for the junior who was also an All-American last season. New Mexico State's Amber Simpson captured Freshman of the Year honors. She was the first player not from Hawai`i to win the award since 2002. Hawai`i's Dave Shoji and New Mexico State's Mike Jordan were named WAC co-Coaches of the Year.
Six different schools were represented on the first team and eight overall. Hawai`i, the first seed in the WAC Tournament, had five players named to the first team and three to the second team. Second-seeded Utah State had two placed on the first team and one on the second team, while New Mexico State placed two on the first team and three on the second.
For the 10th-straight year, Hawai`i boasts the WAC Player of the Year. Kamana`o has been among the nation's leaders in assists per game, averaging 13.72. The junior finished conference play leading the WAC in assists per game (13.70). She is a three-time first-team honoree. Kamana`o is one of four returning first-team members along with Boise State's Cameron Flunder, Nevada's Salaia Salave`a and Hawai`i's Victoria Prince. Salave`a is a four-time all-WAC honoree. Flunder earned her third-straight honor, while Prince earned her second-straight award.
New Mexico State's Amber Simpson earned Freshman of the Year honors in the Aggies' first season in the WAC, averaging 1.35 block per ga,e and hitting .318. She was also one of six players named to the all-freshman team. Both Idaho and San Jose State placed two on the all-freshman team. Vandals Sarah Loney and Haley Larsen earned honors along with Spartans Colleen Burke and Brittany Collet.
For the first time since 2000, the WAC has co-Coaches of the Year. Hawai`i's Dave Shoji and New Mexico State's Mike Jordan both earned the honor. This is Shoji's sixth Coach of the Year award, Jordan's third-straight coach of the year honor after earning back-to-back awards in the Sun Belt Conference.
The WAC Tournament will begin Thursday, Nov. 26 in Reno, Nev. There will be five matches on Thursday with No. 8 Boise State facing No. 9 Louisiana Tech in the first match of the day. No. 3 New Mexico State will take on No. 6 San Jose State in the next match, followed by No. 2 Utah State battling No. 7 Fresno State. Last year's finalist, Nevada, which is the No. 4 seed will take on No. 5 Idaho in the first evening match, followed by No. 1 Hawai`i taking on the winner of the No. 8 vs. No. 9 match.
2005 VOLLEYBALL POSTSEASON AWARD WINNERS
All-Conference
First Team Team Pos. Yr. Hometown (Previous School)
Zuzana Cernianska Utah State OPP Sr. Prague, Czech Republic (Therese-Martin)
Jackie Choi New Mexico State S Jr. Corpus Christi, Texas (Montwood)
Cameron Flunder++^ Boise State MB Jr. Kent, Wash. (Kent Lake)
Kanoe Kamana`o+^ Hawai`i S Jr. Honolulu, Hawaii (Iolani)
Sarah Mason Hawai`i LS/RS So. Hilo, Hawaii (Oregon)
Kim Oguh New Mexico State OH So. El Paso, Texas (Hanks)
Victoria Prince^ Hawai`i M/RS Sr. Kennewick, Wash. (Washington State)
Ingrid Roth Utah State MB Sr. Barrington, Ill. (Barrington)
Salaia Salave`a**+^ Nevada MB Sr. Pago Pago, American Samoa (Leone)
Juliana Sanders Hawai`i M So. Kaneohe, Hawaii (Castle)
Jennifer Sentfleben San Jose State MB So. Canyon Lake, Calif. (Temescal Canyon)
Ashley Watanabe^^ Hawai`i L Sr. Aiea, Oahu (Aiea)
Second Team Team Pos. Yr. Hometown (Previous School)
Susie Boogaard^^ Hawai`i RS/LS Sr. Bellflower, Calif. (Valley Christian)
Alice Borden New Mexico State MH Jr. Aurora, Colo. (Grandview)
Jordan Bostic New Mexico State DS/OH So. El Paso, Texas (Franklin)
Teal Ericson Nevada OH Jr. Homewood, Calif. (North Tahoe)
Erin Graybill Utah State MB Sr. Sandy, Utah (BYU)
Tara Hittle Hawai`i LS/RS So. Colorado Springs, Colo. (Doherty)
Jamie Houston Hawai`i LS Fr. Huntsville, Ala. (Huntsville)
Haley Larsen Idaho OH Fr. Santa Clarita, Calif. (Canyon)
Alison Pitton Fresno State OH Jr. Elk Grove, Calif. (St. Francis)
Amber Simpson New Mexico State MH Fr. Quincy, Ill. (Quincy)
Karly Sipherd^^ Nevada MB So. Applegate, Calif. (Capitol City)
Jessie Shull++^ San Jose State L Jr. Downey, Calif. (Warren)
All-Freshman Team Pos. Hometown (Previous School)
Colleen Burke San Jose State MB Huntington Beach, Calif. (Edison)
Brittany Collet San Jose State S Newbury, Calif. (Newbury)
Jamie Houston Hawai`i LS Huntsville, Ala. (Huntsville)
Haley Larsen Idaho OH Santa Clarita, Calif. (Canyon)
Amber Simpson New Mexico State MH Quincy, Ill. (Quincy)
Kasie Spencer Fresno State MB La Verkin, Utah (Hurricane)
WAC Player of the Year: Kanoe Kamana`o, Hawai`i
WAC Coach of the Year: Dave Shoji, Hawai`i; Mike Jordan, New Mexico State
WAC Freshman of the Year: Amber Simpson, New Mexico State
$2001 First-team Selection
*2002 First-team Selection
**2002 Second-team Selection
+2003 First-team Selection
++2003 First-team Selection
^2004 First-team Selection
^^2004 Second-team Selection
|
