DENVER - The Preseason all-WAC volleyball team, as voted on by the nine head coaches, was announced today and Hawai'i sophomore Kanani Danielson was named WAC Preseason Player of the Year.
This is the fifth-straight season that a Rainbow Wahine player has earned the preseason honor with All-Americans Kanoe Kamana'o (2005, 2006) and Jamie Houston (2007, 2008) each earning the honor in back-to-back years.
Hawai'i placed the most student-athletes on the 12-player team with five. Along with Danielson, seniors Aneli Cubi-Otineru and Amber Kaufman, junior Dani Mafua and sophomore Stephanie Ferrell earned preseason honors. Cubi-Otineru and Kaufman were all first-team all-WAC selections in 2008, while Mafua was a second-team pick and Ferrell was on the All-Freshman Team.
Nevada placed two players on the preseason team in juniors Lindsay Baldwin and Kylie Harrington, as did New Mexico State with seniors Krista Altermatt and Kelli Goodan. Utah State also had two selections in juniors Chelsea Fowles and Christine Morrill. Senior Anna McKinney of Idaho rounded out the preseason squad.
Five teams placed at least one player on the preseason all-WAC team. Five players are returning first-team all-WAC honorees, while five student-athletes are returning second-team picks.
2009 Preseason All-WAC Team
Krista Altermatt, Sr., New Mexico State
Lindsay Baldwin, Jr., Nevada
Aneli Cubi-Otineru, Sr., Hawai'i
Kanani Danielson, So., Hawai'i­­
Stephanie Ferrell, So., Hawai'i
Chelsea Fowles, Jr., Utah State
Kelli Goodan, Sr., New Mexico State
Kylie Harrington, Jr., Nevada
Amber Kaufman, Sr., Hawai'i
Dani Mafua, Jr., Hawai'i
Anna McKinney, Sr., Idaho
Christine Morrill, Jr., Utah State
Preseason Player of the Year: Kanani Danielson, Hawai'i
