Dec. 3, 2010
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - As Mizzou prepares for its NCAA Tournament first round matchup against fifth-seeded Northern Iowa tonight, three Tigers were honored by COBRA Magazine as All-Midsouth Region Team members, as announced by the magazine Friday morning (Dec. 3). Landing on the All-Region team were senior outside hitter Paola Ampudia (Cali, Colombia), junior middle hitter Brittney Brimmage (East St. Louis, Ill.) and senior libero Caitlyn Vann (Muncie Ind.).
The COBRA Magazine All-Region team consisted of 15 players along with a six-player honorable mention team and Mizzou and Texas led the way with three selections to the team. No other school in the region had more than one honoree on the first team. Cobra Magazine celebrates the success of volleyball players of African descent in hopes of encouraging black girls across the country to pursue the sport. Both Ampudia and Brimmage were honored as All-Preseason team honorees back in July with Ampudia landing on the first team and Brimmage landing on the third team.
Ampudia paced the Tigers with 433 kills this season - just one shy of cracking the single season top 10 in program history - while averaging 4.08 kills per set. She also saw marked improvement in her all-around game, specifically in the back row as she pulled in 250 digs this season, averaging 2.36 per set. She was named Big 12 Player of the Week twice this season and was honored as AVCA/Sports Imports National Player of the Week on Nov. 9 as well.
Brimmage had a break-out season for the Tigers in 2010 as she led the team in hitting (.324) and blocks (105, 0.99 per set). She also posted 265 kills this season, more than her previous two seasons as a Tiger combined, for the third-best total on the team this season. She was also named Big 12 Player of the Week for the first time in her career earlier this season.
Vann, now in her fourth year with the program, put together her best season in black and gold as she led the Big 12 in digs per set in all matches (5.30) and during league play (5.51). The 5.30 digs per set average is the top single-season mark in program history while her 562 digs this season leave her just three shy of second place on the single season record list at Mizzou. She could move into second place against Northern Iowa tonight. She was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week six times this season, a 2010 high, and took home the award in each of the final three weeks of the season. She averaged 6.20 digs per set over her last 13 matches.
Mizzou will play fifth-seeded Northern Iowa in the first round of the NCAA Tournament tonight at 8 p.m. in Cedar Falls. The match will stream live on MUTigers.tv for free with Ross Taylor and Lindsey Hunter providing the call. For all the latest on Mizzou volleyball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com.