Nov. 26, 2007
COLUMBIA, Mo. -
COLUMBIA, Mo.—The Big 12 Conference announced Monday afternoon the conference's year-end volleyball awards. Tiger senior outside hitter Na Yang (Shan Dong, China) earned honorable mention in regards to the All-Big 12 team while freshman middle-blocker Weiwen Wang (Nanjing, China) was named to the league's inaugural All-Freshman Team.
Yang led the Tigers with 4.47 kills per game this season posting a 4.54 average during conference play to finish fifth in the league. In addition, Yang tallied a school-record 10 matches with 20-or-more kills in totaling 496 in the regular season. Yang sits second all-time in the single-season kill category, just 20 from eclipsing Yvette Buhlig's 515 total set in 1992. Yang also set a single-season school record this season with 1,265 attacks.
Yang will finish her Tiger career in the all-time Mizzou top five in kills, kills-per-game, attacks, solo blocks, and points. Yang enters NCAA Tournament play with eight career matches in the post season and has posted a 4.10 kill average on a suburb .304 hitting strike during those contests.
Weiwen Wang was named to the league's All-Freshman team after a great frosh season. Overall, Wang scored on 2.96 kills per game and 0.88 blocks per game in her middle-blocking position. Wang has currently scored 15-or-more kills in eight contests this season and has added eight contests with five-or-more blocks. In addition, Wang finished eighth in the league with 0.25 aces per game during conference play.
At Colorado on October 3rd, Wang scored a school-record 13 blocks while adding a school-record 19 kills without an error to earn Big 12 Player of the Week honors on October 8. Against Colorado at home on November 24, Wang again had 19 kills without an error to tie her own accord.
Mizzou plays sixth-seeded Washington in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, starting at 9 p.m. (CT). Should the Tigers win, they will face the winner of BYU-Ole Miss on Saturday at 7 p.m. (CT).
2007 All-Big 12 Volleyball Awards
Player of the Year: Sarah Pavan, Nebraska, RS, 6-5, Sr., Kitchener, Ontario/Forest Heights Collegiate Institute
Newcomer of the Year: Nataly Korobkova, Kansas State OH, Jr., 6-3, Krasnoyarsk, Russia/State Siberian Technological
Freshman of the Year: Juliann Faucette, Texas, OH, 6-2, San Diego, Calif./Westview
Defensive Player of the Year: Christina Houghtelling, Nebraska, OH, Sr., 6-2, Cambridge, Neb./Cambridge
Libero of the Year: Angie Lastra, Kansas State, L, Sr., 5-6, Carolina, Puerto Rico/Carvin School
Coach of the Year: Jerritt Elliott, Texas
ALL-BIG 12 FIRST TEAM
Erin Boeve, Iowa State,OH/MB, Sr., 6-2, Steen, Minn./Hills-Beaver Creek
Nataly Korobkova, Kansas State, OH, Jr. 6-3 Krasnoyarsk, Russia/State Siberian Technological
Rachel Holloway, Nebraska, S, So., 5-10 Franklin, Tenn./Smoky Hill (Colo.)
Christina Houghtelling, Nebraska, OH, Sr., 6-2, Cambridge, Neb./Cambridge
Jordan Larson, Nebraska, OH, Jr., 6-2, Hooper, Neb./Logan View
Sarah Pavan, Nebraska RS Sr. 6-5 Kitchener, Ontario/Forest Heights Collegiate Institute
Tracy Stalls, Nebraska, MB, Sr., 6-3, Denver, Colo./Lakewood
Ashley Engle, Texas, OPP, So., 6-3, Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza
Juliann Faucette, Texas, OH, Fr., 6-2, San Diego, Calif./Westview
Destinee Hooker, Texas, OH, So., 6-4, San Antonio, Texas/Southwest
Michelle Moriarty, Texas, S, Sr., 5-10 Houston, Texas/Stratford
Lauren Paolini, Texas, MB, Jr., 6-5, Ann Arbor, Mich./Saline
ALL-BIG 12 HONORABLE MENTION
Megan Farr, Kansas State, MB, Jr., 5-10, Manhattan, Kan./Manhattan
Angie Lastra, Kansas State, L, Sr., 5-6, Carolina, Puerto Rico/Carvin School
Stacey Spiegelberg, Kansas State, S, Sr., 6-0, Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest
Na Yang, Missouri OH, Sr., 6-3, Shan Dong, China/Shan Dong Sports
Sarah Weiland, Oklahoma, OH, Sr., 6-0, Pflugerville, Texas/Tulane University
Brandy Magee, Texas, MB, Sr., 6-2, Mission Viejo, Calif./Capistrano Valley
BIG 12 ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Ashlie Christenson, Baylor, OH, 6-0, Cleburne, Texas/Cleburne
Sarah Grace, Baylor, L, 5-9, Houston, Texas/Stratford
Ashley Mass, Iowa State, L, 5-8, Muskego, Wis./Muskego
Weiwen Wang, Missouri, MB, 6-0, Nanjing, China/Jiangsu Education Institute
Francie Ekwerekwu, Oklahoma, MB, 5-11, Arlington, Texas/Arlington
Juliann Faucette, Texas, OH, 6-2, San Diego, Calif./Westview
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