Utah State's Amanda Nielson, New Mexico State's Kim Oguh and Hawai`i's Jamie Houston were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) West Region first-team it was announced on Wednesday. With their selections, all three are now eligible for All-American consideration, which will be announced on December 12.
AVCA All-Region Teams
Senior Kim Oguh was named to the AVCA All West-Region team for the third consecutive year, while junior Amber Simpson was named to the honorable mention team as announced by the American Volleyball Coaches Association Wednesday, Dec. 5.
Oguh (El Paso, Hanks HS), a 2007 first team All-WAC selection, finished the year with 376 kills (3.33/g), and a team leading 141 total blocks (1.25/g). She was fourth in the conference in hitting percentage with a .325 hitting percentage. Oguh also had 36 service aces on the year.
Utah State has now had four players earn AVCA all-region honors in the last five years as Erin Cartwright-Davis and Zuzana Cernianska earned first-team honors in 2003 and 2005, respectively, while Erin Graybill earned honorable mention all-region honors in 2005. Both Cartwright-Davis and Cernianska went on to earn honorable mention All-American honors. The only other Aggie to be honored by the AVCA was Marie Motil, who earned second-team Northwest Region honors following the 1993 season.
Nielson, a senior opposite side hitter from West Valley City, Utah (Granger HS), earned first-team all-WAC honors this year as she finished the season third in the league and 11th in the nation with 5.17 kills per game. She was also second in the conference in both points (6.03) and service aces (0.37) per game.
Junior left-side hitter Jamie Houston was named to the AVCA All-West Region team while senior middle hitter Juliana Sanders earned honorable mention honors, as announced by the American Volleyball Coaches Association Wednesday. Houston had another productive season for Hawai`i, hitting .260 with 5.51 kills, 2.56 digs and 0.77 blocks per game on the season. Her kill per game average ranks second in the nation.
Sanders hit a team-high .349 with 2.55 kills and 1.23 blocks per game on the season. She finished her career fourth in block assists and fifth in total blocks in the UH record books.
Simpson (Quicny, Ill.), also a first-team all-WAC selection, finished the season second in the conference in hitting percentage with a .345 hitting percentage. She led the Aggies in that category for the second straight year. Simpson ended the 2007 season with 324 kills (2.84/g).
2007 AVCA Division I West Region First-Team
Kylie Atherstone, Cal Poly
Mekana Barnes, Colorado State
Alexis Crimes, Long Beach State
Rachel Dyer, BYU
Ashley Fornstrom, Colorado State
Chelsea Goodman, BYU
Jaclyn Houston, Cal Poly
Jamie Houston, Hawaii
Lauren Miramonts, UNLV
Amanda Nielson, Utah State
Kim Oguh, New Mexico State
Jaime Strauss, Colorado State
2007 AVCA Division I West Region Honorable Mention
Lori Baird, Utah State University
Michaela Hasalikova, Long Beach State
Erica Lott, BYU
Kari Pestolesi, UC Irvine
Juliana Sanders, Hawaii
Amber Simpson, New Mexico State