VB: Huskers Earn All-Big XII Honors

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Huskers score Big 12 season honors

— Chad Purcell

 

LINCOLN — After wrapping up its first outright Big 12 championship since 2006, Nebraska on Monday was well represented when the conference released its season-ending honor roll.

 

Sophomore outside hitter Hannah Werth was named Big 12 defensive player of the year, while UCLA transfer Lauren Cook, a sophomore setter, was picked conference newcomer of the year.

 

Nebraska's John Cook and Texas' Jerritt Elliott shared the league's coach of the year award.

 

Werth also was one of three Huskers named to the All-Big 12 first team. Joining her were senior right-side hitter Lindsey Licht and junior middle blocker Brooke Delano, who was a unanimous selection by the Big 12 coaches.

 

NU senior libero Kayla Banwarth was an honorable-mention selection for the second straight year, and right-side hitter Morgan Broekhuis was a unanimous pick for the Big 12 all-freshman team.

 

The 27-2 Huskers open the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, when they host Sacred Heart at the NU Coliseum.

 

Texas senior outside hitter Juliann Faucette was Big 12 Player of the Year, Iowa State senior Ashley Mass won libero of the year for a third straight season, and Oklahoma middle blocker Sallie McLaurin was league freshman of the year.

 

Also earning a spot on the All-Big 12 first team was Iowa State's Jamie Straube, a sophomore middle blocker from Tecumseh, Neb.

 

NU moves up to No. 3 in poll

 

Nebraska moved up two spots to No. 3 in the AVCA coaches poll released Monday.

 

Florida remained No. 1, Stanford was up two positions to No. 2, Cal fell two spots to No. 4, and Southern California moved up a spot to No. 5.

 

Rounding out the top 10 was No. 6 Texas, No. 7 Hawaii, No. 8 Penn State, No. 9 UCLA and No. 10 Northern Iowa.

 

The last weekend of college volleyball's regular season featured its share of upsets, with Cal losing to unranked Arizona State in five sets, Hawaii getting swept by unranked Utah State and Penn State falling in five sets at No. 12 Minnesota.