August 02, 2006
The Texas A&M volleyball team is picked to finish fifth in the Big 12 Conference, and Aggie middle blocker Christi Hahn 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.
Hahn, the Aggies?â„¢ lone senior, has started the last two seasons at the middle blocker or right side positions. Last season, the Leander, Texas, product played in all 30 matches and led the team in ace average (.29) and ranked second in attack percentage (.325), kills per game (2.87) and points per game (3.62). In addition, Hahn reached double figures in kills in 18 matches, including each of the last six matches of the season. She also averaged .84 blocks per game and led the team in blocks in a team-high 11 matches.
The academic All-American and two-time NSCA All-American Athlete garnered Big 12 Player of the Week laurels and became the second player in A&M history to be named National Player of the Week by the American Volleyball Coaches Association after posting back-to-back career-setting performances and leading A&M to crucial victories against Kansas (21 kills, 25 points, .526 hitting percentage) and No. 24 Colorado (23 kills, 27 points).
Defending Big 12 champion Nebraska, which has won eight league titles in the 10-year history of the conference, is picked to repeat as the conference champion after receiving eight first-place votes and 98 total points. 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.
Texas, which received three first-place votes and 93 points, is picked to finish second, followed by Missouri (79 points) and Kansas State (71).
Texas A&M, which tied Iowa State for sixth place with a 9-11 mark in the 2005 final standings, received 57 points and is followed by Colorado (51), Kansas (45) and Iowa State (37).
Baylor (35), Oklahoma (27) and Texas Tech (12) round out the poll.
Nebraska junior outside hitter Sarah Pavan, a two-time AVCA All-American, was voted Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year for the second consecutive year. Kansas?â„¢ Natalie Uhart, a senior middle blocker who transferred from Long Beach State, was named Preseason Newcomer of the Year, and Texas?â„¢ Ashley Engle was tabbed Preseason Freshman of the Year.
A&M coach Laurie Corbelli returns seven letterwinners, including three starters, from last year?â„¢s 16-14 squad. She also will welcome a record-eight freshman when the Aggies report Monday. The team begins two-a-day workouts on Friday, Aug. 11 and opens the season against Aug. 25 against Colorado State in Fort Collins, Colo. A&M makes it home debut on Sept. 8 with matches against Loyola and McNeese State.
The following is the complete 2006 Big 12 preseason poll and preseason team:
Rank Team (First-place Votes) Points
1. Nebraska (8) 98
2. Texas 93
3. Missouri 79
4. Kansas State 71
5. Texas A&M 57
6. Colorado 51
7. Kansas 45
8. Iowa State 37
9. Baylor 35
10. Oklahoma 27
11. Texas Tech 12
Note: Ten points were awarded for first-place votes, nine for second, etc. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
Preseason Player of the Year: Sarah Pavan, Nebraska, OH, Jr., 6-5, Kitchener, Ontario/Forest Heights Collegiate Institute
Preseason Newcomer of the Year: Natalie Uhart, Kansas, MB, Sr., 6-2, Lansing, Kan./Long Beach State
Preseason Freshman of the Year: Ashley Engle, Texas, S/OPP, Fr., 6-3, Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS
PRESEASON ALL-BIG 12 TEAM
Name, School Pos. Ht. Cl. Hometown/Previous School
Desiree Guilliard-Young, Baylor MB 6-5 Sr. Berkeley, Calif./Berkeley
Ashley Nu'u Colorado S 5-10 Sr. Aurora, Colo./Smoky Hill
Erin Boeve, Iowa State MB 6-2 Jr. Steen, Minn./Hills?-Beaver Creek
Emily Brown, Kansas OPP/S 6-2 Jr. Baldwin, Kan./Baldwin
Jessica Vander Kooi, Missouri OH 6-2 Sr. Merill, Iowa/Hinton
Jordan Larson, Nebraska OH 6-2 So. Hooper, Neb./Logan View
Sara Pavan, Nebraska OH 6-5 So. Kitchener, Ontario, Canada/Forest Heights Collegiate Institute
Eliane Santos, Oklahoma MB 6-2 Sr. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/College of Southern Idaho
Dariam Acevedo, Texas OH 5-10 Sr. Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico/Oregon
Laticia Armstrong, Texas MB 6-1 Jr. Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Central
Brandy Magee, Texas MB 6-2 Sr. Mission Viejo, Calif./Capistrano Valley
Michelle Moriarty, Texas S 5-10 Jr. Houston, Texas/Stratford
Christi Hahn, Texas A&M MB/OH 6-1 Sr. Leander, Texas/Leander
Note: Twelve players are named to the preseason all-conference team -- a tie occurred in voting to result in 13 members this season.