LEXINGTON, Ky. – Seven WAC volleyball players were selected to the 2011 All-West Region team, announced today by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
Hawai‘i's Kanani Danielson and Emily Hartong, and New Mexico State's Jennah DeVries were selected to the team. New Mexico State's Meredith Hays was named West Region Freshman of the Year, while teammate Kelsey Brennan, Brittany Hewitt of Hawai‘i and Allison Walker of Idaho received honorable mention all-region honors.
Danielson, a two-time first team All-American and third team All-American in 2008, was named to the All-West Region team for the third straight year. The MVP of the WAC Tournament, she led the WAC with 20 double-doubles and ranks 38th nationally with 4.13 kills per set. She is a three-time WAC Player of the Year and earlier this year became the seventh Rainbow Wahine to record 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs.
A first team all-WAC selection for the second year in a row, Hartong boasts a .378 hitting percentage, good for 20th nationally. She has had five matches with 10 or more kills and has hit .300 or better in 24 0f 32 matches this season.
DeVries, a three-time first team all-WAC selection, ranks 47th in the nation with 10.78 assists per set and was named to the WAC Tournament all-tournament team. She posted 13 double-doubles on the season and closed out her career with 4,051 assists, good for fourth place all-time in the Aggie record books.
Hays was named West Region Freshman of the Year after leading the WAC and ranking 17th nationally with 4.42 kills per set. She also boasted a WAC-best 4.94 points per set, which currently ranks 18th in the nation. She posted 12 double-doubles on the year, was named to the all-tournament team at the WAC Tournament, was a first team all-WAC selection and the WAC Freshman of the Year.
A three-time first team all-WAC selection, Brennan ranks 35th nationally with a .354 hitting percentage. She ranked second on the team in both kills and blocks.
Hewitt, who has led Hawai‘i in total blocks in each of her three seasons, is a three-time all-WAC honoree, earning first team honors in each of the last two seasons. She currently ranks 28th nationally with 1.32 blocks per set and was named to the all-tournament team at the WAC Tournament.
A three-time WAC Player of the Week this season and an all-tournament team selection at the WAC Tournament, Walker tallied 13 double-doubles on the year. She ranks second in the league and 25th in the nation in kills (4.24) and third in the WAC and 39th nationally in points (4.64).
Those named to the all-region teams are now eligible for All-America honors, which will be announced next week during the AVCA Convention.
2011 AVCA Division I West Region Team
Allison Buck, New Mexico, L, Sr.
Kanani Danielson***, Hawai‘i, OH, Sr.
Jennah DeVries***, New Mexico State, S, Sr.
Haleigh Hampton, Long Beach State, MB, Sr.
Andrea Hannasch, San Diego State, MB, Jr.
Emily Hartong, Hawai‘i, MB, So.
Jennifer Keddy**, Cal Poly, MB, Sr.
Caitlin Ledoux**, Long Beach State, OH, Sr.
Chesley Lowe, UC Santa Barbara, L, Sr.
Megan Plourde***, Colorado State, MB, Jr.
Jodi Purdy, Wyoming, OH, Jr.
Ashley Rhoades, New Mexico, MB, Sr.
Stacey Schmidt**, UC Santa Barbara, RS, Sr.
Katelyn Steffan, Colorado State, OH, Sr.
West Region Freshman of the Year: Meredith Hays, New Mexico State, OH
Honorable Mention: Kelsey Brennan, New Mexico State, RS, Sr.; Johnna Fouch, San Diego State, S, So.; Kristen Hester, TCU, MB, Sr.; Brittany Hewitt, Hawai‘i, MB, Jr.; Jordan Raines, TCU, OH, Sr.; Allison Walker, Idaho, OH, So.