Dec. 7, 2010
COLUMBIA, Mo. - As the Mizzou volleyball team prepares for its Sweet 16 matchup with 12th-seeded Duke, three of its student-athletes were honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) on Tuesday (Dec. 7) as it unveiled its All-Region teams. Senior outside hitter Paola Ampudia (Cali, Colombia) was named All-Central Region first team while freshman setter Molly Kreklow (Delano, Minn.) was named Central Region Freshman of the Year and to the honorable mention team. Senior libero Caitlyn Vann (Muncie, Ind.) was an All-Central Region honorable mention pick as well.
Ampudia is the Tigers' first All-Region first team honoree since Jessica Vander Kooi took home the award in 2006. It also marks the first time in her career that she has been honored as an All-Region selection. The senior currently leads Mizzou in kills with 472 this season and needs just 28 more to become only the third Tiger to post 500 kills in a single season.
Ampudia also has 273 digs this season and 67 total blocks to go along with 11 service aces. She has accounted for 526 total points this season and nearly 30-percent of the Tigers' total kill production. She was also a unanimous pick to the All-Big 12 first team and was twice named Big 12 Player of the Week in 2010. She was even honored as the AVCA/Sports Imports National Player of the Week on Nov. 9 this season after guiding Mizzou to a pair of road wins at Colorado and Iowa State. She will now be considered for All-America honors.
Kreklow is the first Tiger to earn AVCA Central Region Freshman of the Year since Vander Kooi took home the award in 2002. The Tiger setter finished the regular season ranked second in the Big 12 in assists per set at 11.70 despite leading the league for the majority of the season - she was passed by ISU's Alison Landwehr with just three matches remaining. She guided the Tigers to rank in the Big 12's top four in each of the major offensive statistical categories (kills, hitting, assists) this season and helped the Tigers average 14.18 kills per set on .231 hitting this season.
Heading into the weekend, Kreklow has 1,345 assists this season and pulled in 266 digs while accounting for 43 blocks and 21 aces. She was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week five times this season as well, more than any other player in 2010. Kreklow will now be considered for National Freshman of the Year.
Vann has landed on the honorable mention team after pacing the Big 12 in digs per set during all matches (5.40) and during league matches (5.51). She also set two single season school records with her 621 digs and her 5.40 dps average. She needs just 19 more digs this season to become only the second Tiger to pull in at least 2,000 career digs. She is also the only Tiger in program history with more than 600 digs in a single season.
The senior libero was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week six times in 2010, including in each of the last three weeks of the season. Vann is the first AVCA All-Central Region honorable mention since Nicole Wilson landed on the team back in 2006.
Mizzou will play in the Sweet 16 this weekend against 12th-seeded Duke at 4 p.m. (CT). Mizzou All-Access will have the call, free of charge, at MUTigers.tv. For all the latest on Mizzou volleyball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com.