August 03, 2005
The Texas A&M volleyball team is picked to finish fourth in the Big 12 Conference, and Aggie outside hitter Laura Jones has been selected to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, according to a vote of the conference head coaches and announced today by the league office.
Jones earned All-Big 12 and American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America honors last year after leading the Aggies to a third-place tie with Missouri in conference play and to the second round of the NCAA Championships. The Arlington, Texas, native set school records with 4.94 kills and 5.6 points per game for the full season and also set numerous A&M records in Big 12 matches only, including total kills (358), as well as per game averages for kills (4.84) and points (5.45).
The 6-2 senior has played in every match during her three-year career, starting all but two. She has led the team in kills every season and needs 414 kills to break the A&M career record of 1,777 set by Kristie Smedsrud (1994-97). The fewest kills Jones has recorded in a season is 422 as a freshman.
Defending Big 12 champion Nebraska, which has won seven league titles in the nine-year history of the conference, received all 10 of the possible first-place team votes. The polling was based on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system with a first-place vote receiving 10 points. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
Missouri is picked second with 88 points, followed by Texas with 77 points. The Aggies, who return five starters plus the libero from the 2004 squad that went 14-6 in league play, is picked to finish fourth with 72 points.
Kansas ranks fifth with 68 points, and Kansas State, the 2003 Big 12 champion, is sixth with 56 points. Baylor and Colorado tied for the No. 7 spot with 43 points. Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Iowa State round out the standings with 24, 21 and 13 points, respectively.
Nebraska sophomore outside hitter Sarah Pavan, an AVCA All-American and the AVCA Freshman of the Year in 2004, was voted Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year. Texas' Jennifer Todd, a transfer from Washington State, was named Preseason Newcomer of the Year, and Husker Jordan Larson was tabbed Preseason Freshman of the Year.
The Aggies report Monday and begin two-a-day workouts on Wednesday. They open the season against Prairie View A&M and Texas-Arlington Aug. 26-27 at the Texas A&M/Fazoli's Funfest at G. Rollie White Coliseum.
The following is the complete 2005 Big 12 preseason poll and preseason team:
Rank Team (First-place Votes) Points
1. Nebraska (10) 100
2. Missouri 88
3. Texas 77
4. Texas A&M 72
5. Kansas 68
6. Kansas State 56
7-tie Baylor 43
Colorado 43
9. Oklahoma 24
10. Texas Tech 21
11. Iowa State 13
PRESEASON ALL-BIG 12 TEAM
Big 12 Conference Preseason Team
Name, School Pos. Ht. Cl. Hometown/Previous School
Desiree Guilliard-Young, Baylor MB 6-5 Jr. Berkeley, Calif./Berkeley)
Allie Griffin, Colorado RS 6-0 Sr. Baton Rouge, La./Santa Fe Christian (San Diego, Calif.)
Ashley Nu'u Colorado S 5-10 Jr. Aurora, Colo./Smoky Hill
Josi Lima, Kansas MB 6-0 Sr. Sao Paulo, Brazil/Univ. of Sant'anna
Lindsay Hunter, Missouri S 5-10 Sr. Papillion, Neb./Papillion La Vista
Jessica Vander Kooi, Missouri OH 6-2 Jr. Merill, Iowa/Hinton
Melissa Elmer, Nebraska MB 6-2 Sr. Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop
Sara Pavan, Nebraska OH 6-5 So. Kitchener, Ontario, Canada/Forest Heights Collegiate Institute
Jennifer Saleaumua, Nebraska OH 5-11 Sr. National City, Calif./Bonita Vista
Joanna Schmitt, Oklahoma OH 5-10 Jr. Cottage Grove, Wis./Deerfield
Brandy Magee, Texas MB 6-2 Jr. Mission Viejo, Calif./Capistrano Valley
Michelle Moriarty, Texas S 5-10 So. Houston, Texas/Stratford
Laura Jones, Texas A&M OH 6-2 Sr. Arlington, Texas/Martin
Note: Twelve players are named to the preseason all-conference team -- a tie occurred in voting to result in 13 members this season.
Big 12 Conference Preseason Player of the Year
Sara Pavan, Nebraska, OH, 6-5, So., Kitchener, Ontario, Canada/Forest Heights Collegiate Institute
Big 12 Conference Preseason Newcomer of the Year
Jennifer Todd, Texas, MB, 6-2, Henderson, Nev./Washington State
Big 12 Conference Preseason Freshman of the Year
Jordan Larson, Nebraska, OH, 6-2, Fr., Hooper, Neb./Logan View