Dec. 1, 2008
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Texas A&M junior outside hitters Sarah Ammerman and Mary Batis were named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention, the conference office announced today.
Ammerman, from Parker, Colo., ranked seventh in the league and led the Aggies in both kills (3.49) and points (3.90) per set in Big 12 matches only. She reached double figures in kills in 19 matches overall this season and had double-digit digs in a team-leading 13 matches. In addition, Ammerman had 11 double-doubles, also a team high.
During A&M's season-ending six-match winning surge, Ammerman led or tied for match-high honors in both kills and points in every match. She hit .326 while averaging 4.55 kills and 5.07 points per set during the stretch and was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 24 after leading the Big 12 with 5.50 points and 5.00 kills while hitting at a .356 clip in crucial victories against Oklahoma and Colorado.
Ammerman had 10 kills in the second set alone at Oklahoma and finished with 26 kills, the most by an A&M player this season and one kill shy of her career-high. Ammerman also tied A&M's season high in points with 27 against the Sooners.
Batis led the team and ranked ninth in the Big 12 with 3.38 kills and 3.81 points per set for the full season and ranked 10th in the league with a 3.34 kill average in conference matches only.
The San Antonio, Texas, native started every match and played in all but one set for the Aggies this season. She led the team in kills in a team-high 15 matches and also was the team leader in points and digs in more matches than other player on the team, having led in points in 14 matches and in digs in eight matches.
Earlier this season, Batis became the ninth player in A&M history to surpass both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career. She also reached the 1,000-points milestone and now ranks third in the A&M records with 1273.5 total points.
Ammerman also surpassed 1,000 kills and 1,000 points for her career this season and ranks fourth in the A&M all-time records with 1238.5 points.
Ammerman and Batis led the Aggies to a 16-14 record, including an 11-9 mark in the Big 12, tying Iowa State for fourth place in the conference standings. It marked A&M's most league wins and the Aggies' highest finish in the Big 12 since 2004, when the Aggies tied for third with a 13-7 record and advanced to the NCAA second round.