Cepero Named 2000 AVCA Division I National Player of the Year

Richmond, Va. - Nebraska's Greichaly Cepero has been named the 2000 American Volleyball Coaches Association Division-I National Player of the Year, the AVCA announced Friday. An estimated crowd of 400 at the AVCA Player of the Year/All-American banquet at the Richmond Marriott honored Cepero, a sophomore setter, with a standing ovation.

The 6-foot-2 Cepero joins Allison Weston (1992-1995) as the only players in program history to earn the national player-of-the-year award. Other Huskers recognized at the banquet were sophomore outside hitter Laura Pilakowski, who won first-team All-America honors, and sophomore middle blocker Amber Holmquist, who earned second-team All-America honors.

Cepero won the award after virtually re-defining the setter position this season. Using perhaps the finest all-around game in the nation, Cepero has guided the Huskers to a No. 1 ranking, a 33-0 record and a .315 hitting percentage (second in the nation) in her first season at the position. For the season, the Dorado, Puerto Rico, native, is averaging 11.97 assists, 2.16 digs, 1.48 blocks and 1.84 kills per game on a .325 hitting percentage. In conference matches, Cepero tallied 2.03 kills per game and 1.68 blocks per game, incredible numbers for a setter. Eight Huskers are hitting .311 or better under the direction of Cepero.

Cepero was the only setter ranked in the top 10 of three different Big 12 categories during the regular season. She was 10th in hitting percentage, ninth in assists per game and third in blocks per game. Unique because of her blocking ability, Cepero was the only setter in the country to rank among the nation's top 20 in blocking (19th). Cepero leads Nebraska in solo blocks with 27 and has been responsible for 33 percent of the Huskers' blocks (154 of 465.5).

Cepero leads NU with 12 double-doubles, four of which were triple-doubles. Cepero was just one kill short of the school's first quadruple-double when she produced nine kills, 46 assists, 10 digs and 11 blocks at Texas Oct. 22. Cepero recorded her third triple-double of the season Nov. 8 in leading the Huskers to their first win in College Station, Texas, since 1997, as the Huskers snapped A&M's 28-match home winning streak. The sophomore setter posted career-best totals with 71 assists (17.75 per game) and 18 digs (4.5 per game) while adding 11 blocks (2.75 per game), a mark that tied for the match high.

The national player of the year honor is the latest in a long line of honors for Cepero. In just two years at Nebraska, Cepero has been named the 2000 Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, the 1999 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, a two-time First-Team all-Big 12 selection, a two-time Big 12 Player-of-the-Week selection and the NCAA Central Regional MVP.

Nebraska, in Richmond for the NCAA Final Four, advanced to the 2000 national title match with a 3-1 victory over Hawaii Thursday. The Huskers will face Wisconsin (33-3) at 2:30 (CST) Saturday. The championship will be televised live on ESPN2.