Nov. 30, 2009

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- After what was one of the most impressive individual single seasons in Mizzou volleyball history, Tiger junior Paola Ampudia (Cali, Colombia) was named the unanimous Big 12 Newcomer of the Year by the league's 11 head coaches on Monday (Nov. 30). Ampudia becomes the first Tiger in program history to take home this award. She also landed on the All-Big 12 First Team as well, marking the first Tiger to appear on this list since Jessica Vander Kooi did so back in 2006. Ampudia was also one of three finalists for Big 12 Player of the Year this season.

"Obviously, everyone that is associated with the program is extremely proud of what Paola accomplished this season," head coach Wayne Kreklow said. "She just did a super job for us all season and was a mainstay for us offensively throughout the entire season."

"What really pleased me about Paola this season was her work ethic and the way that she approached practice every day," Kreklow added. "Coming in, she knew that playing at this level was going to be a big jump for her, but she listened, paid attention and showed a willingness to learn and improve. That combined with her work ethic is what made her such a great player this season. We are extremely happy that she chose to play volleyball here at Mizzou and we are even more excited to get her back for one more season next year."

"When I was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in the preseason, I knew that it would be hard for me to live up to that," Ampudia commented on receiving the postseason honor. "But to be named to the All-Big 12 team along with getting the same award that was given to me in the preseason says a lot. I really found my game in the second half of the season, which was right in the middle of Big 12 play, and I am just glad that other teams and coaches took notice to what I was able to do this season."

Ampudia averaged 5.21 points, 4.69 kills and 2.20 digs per set in her first season of Big 12 play. In fact, in her final 16 matches, Ampudia had more kills (281) than any other Big 12 player over their last 16 matches. That total was 21 more than UT's Destinee Hooker, who took home Big 12 Player of the Year honors today. The Miami Dade-transfer ranked second in points and kills during Big 12 play behind only Hooker as well. On Nov. 28 at Texas A&M, she became the ninth player in program history to post at least 400 kills in a single-season and the eighth under the tutelage of Wayne and Susan Kreklow. Ampudia's 410 kills rank 11th in Mizzou's single-season annals and she is the only Tiger to post 400 kills in a season since the scoring was changed to 25-point sets.

During the 2009 campaign, she posted Big 12 season-highs for the most points (37) and kills (35) during a four-set victory at Kansas on Oct. 24. In fact, those 35 kills against Kansas are a school single-match record and a Big 12 four-set record. She became only the second Tiger to post 30 kills in the rally scoring era and was one of only two to do so in a four-set match; all of the other 30-kill performances came in five-set matches. Ampudia also set a school record with her 26 kills at Texas A&M last Saturday, the most ever in a four-set match at Mizzou. Those 26 kills are also a Big 12 season-high in a three set match this season. The 26-kill mark has been hit seven other times in Mizzou history, six of which came in five-set matches, making her performance that much more impressive.

Ampudia hit the 20-kill plateau in five times this season and finished the season by posting double-digit kills totals in 14 of her last 16 matches, averaging 5.20 per set in that span.

Ampudia, the only Tiger in Big 12 history to be tabbed Newcomer of the Year, was named Rookie of the Week four times in 2009 and was the Big 12 Player of the Week once, becoming the first Tiger to take home that honor since Oct. 8, 2007. She also posted five double-doubles this season as she finished 2009 with 194 digs, good for fourth on the team. Her 74 total blocks on the season also ranked second on the team this season while her 10 solo blocks placed second.

Ampudia and Mizzou likely fell one win shy of qualifying for its ninth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 10 seasons this year. In fact, Mizzou's 18 wins ties its most in a single season since 2005. Despite being left out of the NCAA Tournament, Ampudia still put together one of the finest seasons in Mizzou history. 281 of her 410 total kills came in the second half of the season. Had her first half numbers been identical to her second half, Ampudia would have broken nearly every single season offensive record in program history.

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