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UW senior is First Team All-American for both AVCA and Volleyball Magazine 

• Tonight | 4:30PM (Pacific) | #3 Texas vs. #4 Nebraska | National Championship 

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Washington libero Cassie Strickland deserves to be an AVCA All-American 

• Tonight | 4:00PM (Pacific) | #9 Kansas vs. #4 Nebraska | ESPN2 
• Tonight | 6:30PM (Pacific) | #3 Texas vs. #2 Minnesota | ESPN2 

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Pepperdine's Matt West and Southern California's Ebony Nwanebu

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Notes from Oklahoma City 

NCAA | The volleyball All-American Cassie Strickland oversight

Regional snub precluded national consideration

• NCAA semifinal | BYU vs. Texas | Oklahoma City | 4PM (Pacific) | ESPN2
• NCAA semifinal | Stanford vs. Penn State | Oklahoma City | 7PM (Pacific) ESPN2

All-American selections snub Pac-12 & Vansant

SAN ANTONIO—As we reported yesterday, Washington’s Bianca Rowland was named a second team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). Rowland’s AVCA citation reads:

Bianca Rowland, a 6’0 middle blocker for the University of Washington, is a senior from Lynwood, Wash. Rowland averaged a career-best 1.50 blocks per set on the season, second in the Pac-12, and her .345 attack percentage ranked fifth in the conference. She wound up third in career blocks at UW with 492, and second in career attack percentage at.387. After making AVCA All-American honorable mention the past two seasons, this is her first time appearing on an All-American team.

Bianca Rowland
[Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann]

It bears mentioning that few, if any, D1 middle blockers were more efficient in the second half of the season. When the Huskies switched to a two-setter offense before the Bay Area road trip, Rowland’s offense soared, repeatedly hitting above .400, and often much higher.

Overall, the Pac-12 got just middling respect from the AVCA voters. Three USC players—outside hitter Alex Jupiter, setter Kendall Bateman and libero Natalie Hagglund—joined UCLA’s Rachel Kidder on the 14-member First Team. Jupiter was the Pac-12 player of the year, and should be among the leading 3 candidates for national player of the year.

Rowland was joined by just one other Pac-12 player on the Second Team, Cal’s talented outside hitter Tarah Murrey. USC’s Lauren Williams and Oregon’s Alaina Bergsma were named to the Third Team, for a total of 8 Pac-12 players of the 42 First, Second and Third Team All-Americans.

Pac-12 players earning honorable mention include WSU’s Meagan Ganzer, Oregon’s Lauren Plum, Stanford’s Rachel Williams and Carly Wopat.

From where we sit, the Pac-12 was given short shrift this year. I would have put Murrey on the First Team, Lauren Williams on the Second Team, and Ganzer (whose WSU coach, Jennifer Greeny is on the All-American selection committee) and Wopat on the Third Team. California—last year’s Final Four runner-up—has a lot to complain about: Correy Johnson should have made Honorable Mention, and I’d put libero Robin Rostratter on the Third Team.

Nebraska’s three honorable mentions were a bit much, particularly Lauren Cook, given her off-court troubles this season. I also question putting Texas’ Bailey Webster on the First Team and teammate Haley Eckerman on the second. Eckerman was named national Freshman of the Year.

Krista Vansant (16) and Bianca Rowland (15)
[Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann]

The real head-scratcher, however, is how Pac-12 Freshman of the Year—and Pacific Region Freshman of the Year—Krista Vansant was completely left off the list. C’mon, committee, really? There are four other freshmen (Texas’ Eckerman, North Carolina’s Chaniel Nelson, Marquette’s Chelsea Heier, Tenessee’s Mary Pollmiller) more deserving than the best freshman in the west?  

Rowland & Vansant win All-Region Honors

Two University of Washington players—senior middle blocker Bianca Rowland and freshman outside hitter Krista Vansant—were among the All-Region athletes honored today by the American Volleyball Coaches Association(AVCA). This is Rowland’s third year on the All-Region Team.

AVCA divides the nation’s conferences into eight Regions; the Pac-12 is part of the Pacific Region. Only those athletes named to an All-Region team are eligible for the final All-American team, to be honored next week at the Final Four in San Antonio.

2011 AVCA Division 1 All-Pacific Region

Kendall Bateman**	University of Southern California	S	Sr.
Alaina Bergsma	University of Oregon	OH	Jr.
Chloe Ferrari	University of San Diego	MB	So.
Meagan Ganzer	Washington State University	OH	Sr.
Natalie Hagglund	University of Southern California	L	So.
Jennifer Hamson	Brigham Young University	OPP	So.
Kim Hill	Pepperdine University	OPP	Sr.
Alex Jupiter**	University of Southern California	OH	Sr.
Rachael Kidder	UCLA	OH	Jr.
Tarah Murrey**	University of California	OH	Sr.
Bianca Rowland***	University of Washington	MB	Sr.
Lauren Williams**	University of Southern California	MB	Sr.
Rachel Williams	Stanford University	OH	So.
Carly Wopat	Stanford University	MB	So.

***three-time selection
**two-time selection

Region Freshman of the Year: Krista Vansant, Washington, OH

Honorable Mention: Amanda Arterburn (Northern Colo., L, Sr.), Katie Fuller (USC, Opp., Jr.), Shannon Hawari (California, MB, Jr.), Cursty Jackson (Arizona, MB, Sr.), Lauren Plum (Oregon, S, So.), Kellie Woolever (Pepperdine, S, So.)

Region Coach of the Year: Mick Haley, USC

see: Complete List of All-Region selections

Washington's Bianca Rowland (15)
[Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann]

Washington's Krista Vansant (16)
[Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann]

Washington recruits named to All-American teams

Two University of Washington volleyball recruits--setter Katy Beals of Austin, TX and middle blocker Melanie Wade of Palo Alto--were today named first team high school All-Americans. A third recruit--middle blocker Lianna Sybeldon of Shingle Springs, CA--was named a second team All-American.

High School All-Americans Melanie Wade, Katy Beals and Lianna Sybeldon

Those honors place Washington's recruiting class near the top of the nation for the second year in a row. Last year, the Huskies class included high school All-Americans Summer Ross and Krista Vansant; Vansant was national player of the year. Both Ross and Vansant have been starters all season for Washington this year.

Katy Beals' Lake Travis High School teammate, Amy Neal, is also on the first team, and will attend Texas. Lake Travis High--the defending Texas 4A champion--has reached the state Final Four once again this season.

Kameron McLain, an outside hitter from Eastside Catholic High School, was named to the Honorable Mention team. McLain will attend Boston College.

Washington's recruiting class will likely be rated among the top five this season. A summary of the high school All-Americans on today's list, for selected schools:




The complete list is here at the American Volleyball Coaches Association website.