Dec. 16, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Texas A&M outside hitter Sarah Ammerman and Aggie right side hitter Jennifer Banse have capped their collegiate volleyball careers by receiving All-America honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).
Ammerman, from Parker, Colo., was named to the 14-member All-America Third Team, becoming the seventh player in A&M history to merit AVCA All-America first, second or third-team distinction.
Banse, from San Antonio, Texas, was named honorable mention All-America.
It is the first such honor for both Ammerman and Banse, who together helped lead A&M to a 20-11 record and the NCAA Sweet 16. They become A&M's first players to receive All-America status since Laura Jones garnered first-team honors in 2005. In addition, they raise A&M's all-time total of All-America certificates to 12.
"I am excited for both of them to receive the highest individual honor you can get in women's collegiate volleyball," Corbelli said. "This recognition highlights their four years of incredibly intense effort at becoming the best they can be on the court, in the weight room and in the classroom. They both have developed into wonderful players and leaders for our program.
"Many of the other All-Americans are from national champion-caliber teams and have a great future at the international level, and for Sarah and Jenny to be grouped with that caliber of athlete is indicative of how hard they have worked to be as talented as they are."
Ammerman posted double figures in kills in 24 of the 30 matches she played this season and led A&M and ranks second in the Big 12 and 25th in the nation with 4.31 kills per set. She tallied 20 or more kills seven times this year, including her second 26-kill performance of the season in A&M's 3-2 victory at No. 15 seed LSU in the NCAA second round.
Ammerman also led the Aggies and ranks second in the conference and 36th in the country with 4.70 points per set this season.
The four-year starter completed her illustrious career ranked third in the A&M career records in points (1708.5), fourth in kills (1,518) and tied for 14th in digs (1,009). In addition, she became the 10th player in program history to reach the 1,000-milestone in both kills and digs.
Banse, a primary passer in addition to her right-side duites, started every match this season and led A&M's outside hitters with a .272 hitting percentage. She ranked second on the team in both kills and points per set and ranks sixth in the Big 12 with 3.42 kills per set and seventh in the league with 3.78 points per set for the full season.
Banse hit a combined .325 and averaged 4.58 kills, 4.67 points and 2.92 digs per set during A&M's NCAA Sweet 16 run. She posted the first 20-plus kill performance of her career with 23 in the 3-1 first-round victory against Arizona and then reached the 20-kill mark in the ensuing match with 20 in the 3-2 upset of the Tigers. In addition, Banse hit .340 and .348 in the respective matches. She also had 20 digs against Arizona to post the first 20-20 performance of her career, as well as the only 20-20 match by an Aggie this season.
Banse, who had 12 kills in the season-ending NCAA regional semifinal match against No. 2 Texas, finished the season having recorded double figures in kills in 18 matches and in digs in 16 matches, second most on the team in each category.
The All-America awards will be presented and the Division I AVCA National Player of the Year will be announced on Friday at the AVCA All-America/Players of the Year Banquet at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Fla.
All-America selections were made by the AVCA Division I All-America Committee: chair - Debbie Kirch, Green Bay; Andy Banachowski, UCLA; Keylor Chan, Northwestern; Joe Getzin, Mississippi; Christy Johnson-Lynch, Iowa State; Mike Jordan, New Mexico State; Anne Kordes, Saint Louis; and Lee Maes, Virginia. The AVCA Awards Chair is Dayton head volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield.