DENVER The Western Athletic Conference volleyball coaches selected their 2001 preseason award winners today. Earning preseason Player of the Year honors was Hawaii sophomore middle blocker Maja Gustin.
Hawaii, which was picked to win the WAC in 2001, led all schools with three players on the All-WAC preseason team. Nevada, which is picked to finish third, placed two players, along with UTEP and Fresno State. Boise State, Rice and SMU each placed one player to round out the team.
Gustin, who hails from Maribor, Slovenia, was a first-team All-WAC selection as well as the Co-Freshman of the Year in 2000. She led the league in hitting percentage (.370) and blocks (1.60 bpg) to go along with 2.83 kills and 29 service aces. Her blocks per game ranked fifth in the nation and she also was tied for fourth in the WAC in service aces (0.30 sapg).
Other All-WAC honorees that return from last season include Nevadas Suzanne Stonebarger (1st team), Hawai`is Jennifer Carey (2nd team) and Kim Willoughby (2nd team, Co-Freshman of the Year), Nevadas Michelle More (2nd team) and UTEPs Jacqui Nosan (2nd team).
2001 WAC VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON AWARD WINNERS
Name School Pos. Ht. Yr. Hometown (Previous School)
Jennifer Carey Hawaii S 6-1 Jr. Newport Beach, Calif. (Newport Harbor)
Tara Hatfield SMU S 6-0 Jr. Coppell, Texas (Coppell)
Maja Gustin Hawaii MB 6-2 So. Maribor, Slovenia (HS of Economic)
Jacqueline Heler Boise State MB 6-1 So. Palo Alto, Calif. (Gunn)
Leigh Leman Rice OH 5-9 Sr. Magnolia, Texas (Magnolia)
Shauna McQuaid Fresno State MB 6-1 Sr. San Diego, Calif. (Madison)
Michelle More Nevada MB 6-1 Jr. Torrance, Calif. (Crossroads)
Nicki Mosher UTEP RS 6-3 Sr. Rockford, Ill. (Stillman Valley)
Jacqui Nosan UTEP MB 6-2 Sr. Cleveland, Ohio (Villa Angela)
Suzanne Stonebarger Nevada OH 5-9 Sr. Linden, Calif. (Linden)
Kara Verwey Fresno State OH 6-1 So. Kerman, Calif. (Kerman)
Kim Willoughby Hawaii OH 6-0 So. Napoleonville, La. (Assumption)
Preseason Player of the Year: Maja Gustin, Hawaii