The American Volleyball Coaches Association announced the 2005 Division I All-West Region Team with several WAC players earning honors. Hawai'i head coach Dave Shoji was named West Regions Coach of the Year, as the Rainbow Wahine recovered from one their toughest starts to reach the NCAA Regional Semifinals.
Shoji has led sixth-ranked Hawai'i to a 27-6 overall and its sixth consecutive WAC championship. After a 6-6 start the season with seven ranked opponents in their first 12 matches, the Rainbow Wahine have pulled together a 21-match win streak going into the NCAA Division I Tournament Regional Semifinals. Hawai'i defeated host Texas in the second round of the tournament to advance to the regional semifinals. The Rainbow Wahine started the season ranked fourth in the CSTV/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll. Shoji was named AVCA West Region Coach of the Year for the eighth time (1987, 1988, 1989, 1995, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2005). He was named the coach of the NCAA Division I 25th Anniversary Women s Volleyball Team earlier this year.
Kanoe Kamana`o and Victoria Prince both earned honors, while Ashley Watanabe earned honorable mention honors. This is the third-consecutive year that Kamana`o earned all-region honors and is the second-straight honor for Prince.Kamana`o was the WAC Player of the Year, while Prince was the WAC Tournament MVP.
Nevada?™s Salaia Salave`asearned honorable mention honors. She was a three-time first-team WAC, four-time WAC Tournament, and three-time WAC Preseason team selection. In 2002 she garnered WAC Freshman of the Year honors and was named to the all-WAC second-team.
New Mexico State?™s Kim Oguh was named to the team in her first season with the WAC. The middle blocker was also named to the all-WAC first team. Utah State?™s Zuzana Cernianska was the only Utah State player named to the all-region team. Cernianska was named to both the all-WAC first team and all-tournament team. Senior middle blocker Erin Graybill was named honorable mention.
2005 AVCA All-Region Team
West Region
Zuzana Cernianska, USU, RS/Opp, Sr.
Alexis Crimes, LBSU, MB, So.
Andreya Downs, CSU, MB, Sr.
Lauren Evans, BYU, S, Sr.
Lindsy Hartstock, BYU, MB, Jr.
Kanoe Kamana?™o , Hawai?™i, S,sJr.
Kim Oguh, NMSU, MB,s So.
Victoria Prince, Hawai?™i, MB,sSr.
Salaia Salave?™a,s Nevada, MB,sSr.
Janine Sandell, UCSB, OH, Jr.
Shelly Sommerfeldt, Utah, OH, Sr.
Amanda Vazquez, UC, Irvine,sMB, Sr.
Region Freshman of the Year: Airial Salvo, Utah, OH
Honorable Mention: Erika Chidester, LBSU, MB, Sr.), Erin Graybill (USU, MB, Sr.), Ashley Groothuis (Pacific, OH, Sr.), Lauren Miramontes (UNLV, MB, So.), Airial Salvo (Utah, OH, Fr.), Ashley Watanabe (Hawai?™i, DS/Lib, Sr.)
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