Five Huskers Earn Big 12 Honors

Lincoln ? Five Nebraska volleyball players were honored Monday afternoon, as the 2009 All-Big 12 team was announced. Nebraska and Iowa State had a league-best five honorees apiece, as Kori Cooper, Brooke Delano and Sydney Anderson claimed first-team selections, while Kayla Banwarth and Hannah Werth received honorable-mention accolades.

It was Cooper and Anderson’s second straight All-Big 12 honor, while the other three Huskers were recognized for the first time in their careers.  Werth was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year, the first Husker honored since Jordan Larson in 2005. Werth is the fifth Husker freshman to receive the Big 12’s top rookie honor.

Cooper received her second straight All-Big 12 award by averaging 2.46 kills and 0.85 blocks per set, while leading the Big 12 with a .378 hitting percentage. In league action, Cooper hit a conference-best .400 and had six league matches with at league 10 kills, including a career-high 16 kills against Iowa State.  Cooper hit .400 or better in nine of her 18 Big 12 contests.

Delano put together a strong season in her first full year as a starter. She averaged 2.32 kills and 1.18 blocks per set and ranked among Big 12 leaders in both hitting percentage (.340, fourth) and blocks (1.18, third). Delano, the only freshman or sophomore to rank in the top 10 in hitting percentage and blocks, reached double figures in kills in seven Big 12 matches, highlighted by a career-high 14 kills at Oklahoma.

Anderson averaged 11.47 assists, 0.77 kills and 2.49 digs per set. She ranked second in the league in assists while notching a team-best 14 double-doubles (assists-digs). Anderson helped NU hit .300 or better in 11 matches, including a season-high .451 against Missouri on Nov. 5. She totaled 50 or more assists five times, including a career-high 57 assists in a three-set sweep at Missouri on Oct. 17.

Werth was the only freshman on either of the two teams, as she averaged a team-high 3.18 kills and 3.00 digs per set to earn honorable-mention accolades. She owns 11 double-doubles on the year and led all Big 12 freshmen in points (3.77) and kills (3.38) in league play. She is a five-time Big 12 Rookie of the Week and is on pace to become the first freshman to lead the Huskers in kills since 2004.

Banwarth is one of two liberos to receive all-conference recognition, as she earned honorable-mention accolades. She ranks second in the Big 12 with 4.82 digs per set and leads all conference liberos with 1.16 assists per set. Banwarth ranks second on NU’s single-season digs list with 492, including 11 matches with at least 20 digs. She set a school record for most digs in a three-set match with 32 against Baylor on Nov. 18.

2009 ALL-BIG 12 VOLLEYBALL AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR:                           Destinee Hooker, Texas, OH, Sr., 6-4, San Antonio, Texas/Southwest^
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR:                  Paola Ampudia, Missouri, OH/RS, Jr., 6-1, Cali, Colombia/Miami Dade College^
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:                   Hannah Werth, Nebraska, OH, Fr., 6-1, Springfield, Ill./Glenwood
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:    Anna Breyfogle, Baylor, MB, Sr., 6-1, Buda, Texas/Hays
LIBERO OF THE YEAR:                            Ashley Mass, Iowa State, DS/L, Jr., 5-8, Muskego, Wis./Muskego^
COACH OF THE YEAR:                            Christy Johnson-Lynch, Iowa State

ALL-BIG 12 FIRST TEAM
Name, School	Pos.	Cl.	Ht.	Hometown/Previous School
Taylor Barnes, Baylor	S	Sr.	5-11	Arlington, Texas/Martin
Anna Breyfogle, Baylor	MB	Sr.	6-1	Buda, Texas/Hays
Victoria Henson, Iowa State	OH	Jr.	5-11	Leavenworth, Kan./Leavenworth
Kaylee Manns, Iowa State	S	Sr.	5-10	Topeka, Kan./Washburn Rural
Ashley Mass, Iowa State^	DS/L	Jr.	5-8	Muskego, Wis./Muskego
Paola Ampudia, Missouri	OH/RS	Jr.	6-1	Cali, Colombia/Miami Dade College
Sydney Anderson, Nebraska	S	Jr.	6-0	Salt Lake City, Utah/Utah
Kori Cooper, Nebraska	MB	Sr.	6-2	Amarillo, Texas/Amarillo
Brooke Delano, Nebraska	MB	So.	6-4	Bellevue, Neb./Bellevue West
Ashley Engle, Texas	S/RS	Sr.	6-3	Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza
Juliann Faucette, Texas	OH	Jr.	6-2	San Diego, Calif./Westview
Destinee Hooker, Texas^	OH	Sr.	6-4	San Antonio, Texas/Southwest
Sarah Ammerman, Texas A&M	OH	Sr.	6-2	Parker, Colo./Chaparral
Jennifer Banse, Texas A&M	OH	Sr.	6-0	San Antonio, Texas/Churchill
ALL-BIG 12 HONORABLE MENTION
Name, School	Pos.	Cl.	Ht.	Hometown/Previous School
Rachel Hockaday, Iowa State	OH	So.	6-0	Decatur, Ill./Maroa-Forsyth
Kelsey Chipman, Kansas State	MB	Sr.	6-1	Topeka, Kan./Washburn Rural
Kayla Banwarth, Nebraska	L	Jr.	5-11	Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert Catholic
Hannah Werth, Nebraska	OH	Fr.	6-1	Springfield, Ill./Glenwood
Brianne Barker, Oklahoma	S	So.	5-9	Amarillo, Texas/Amarillo
Francie Ekwerekwu, Oklahoma	MB	Jr.	5-11	Arlington, Texas/Arlington

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Name, School	Pos.	Ht.	Hometown/Previous School
Torri Campbell, Baylor	MB	6-2	Amarillo, Texas/Amarillo
Jamie Straube, Iowa State^	MB	6-2	Tecumseh, Neb./Johnson County Central
Hannah Werth, Nebraska^	OH	6-1	Springfield, Ill./Glenwood
Mar?a Fernanda, Oklahoma	L	5-7	Rio Piedras, P.R./Colegio Adianaez
Bailey Webster, Texas	OH/OPP	6-3	Baltimore, Md./St. Paul's School For Girls
Lindsey Miller, Texas A&M	MB	6-2	Katy, Texas/Cinco Ranch

^ - Unanimous Selection