Pavan, Houghtelling Lead All-Big 12 Honors

Lincoln ? Sarah Pavan and Christina Houghtelling head up a list of five Huskers who earned first-team All-Big 12 honors, as the league unveiled its all-conference team Monday afternoon.

The 12-member first-team was dominated by players from Big 12 co-champions Nebraska and Texas. The two schools combined for 10 of the 12 spots with both schools claiming five spots apiece. Nebraska’s five first-team picks matched a school record originally set in 2001.

The awards were headed by Pavan, who was chosen as the Big 12 Player of the Year for the third consecutive season, and Houghtelling, who was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Rachel Holloway, Jordan Larson and Tracy Stalls joined Pavan and Houghtelling as first-team selections.

Pavan becomes the first player in school history to become a three-time conference player of the year. On the season, the 6-foot-5 senior paced the Big 12 with 4.93 kills per game, while topping all league players in service aces (0.53) and points per game (5.87). She ended the regular season ranked ninth in hitting percentage (.348) while recording four matches with at least 20 kills, highlighted by a 31-kill performance at Kansas State on Nov. 3. Pavan is just the second player in school history to be a four-time first-team all-conference pick, joining Greichaly Cepero, who accomplished the feat from 1999 to 2002.

Houghtelling becomes the third straight Husker to win or share the league’s top defensive honor while earning first-team All-Big 12 laurels for the second time in her career. On the year, she averaged 3.18 kills on .316 hitting and a team-high 4.05 digs per game. She ranks seventh in the league in digs and paces all non-liberos in that category. Houghtelling is tied for the team-lead with 10 double-doubles. She turned in one of her best defensive performances of the year at Kansas State, recording a career-high 26 digs and four blocks as NU fought back from a 0-2 deficit to top the Wildcats.

Holloway was chosen for the All-Big 12 team for the second straight campaign after guiding the Huskers to one of their most prolific offensive seasons in school history. NU enters the NCAA Tournament leading the country in both kills (18.00) and assists (16.63) per game and ranked third in hitting percentage (.330). On the year, she is averaging 13.73 assists, 2.28 digs and 0.98 kills per game to rank second in the Big 12 and eighth nationally in assists per game. She has helped NU hit .300 or better in 22 matches, including a season-best .500 in a sweep of Baylor on Sept. 29.

Larson collects her second first-team all-conference award as she enters the NCAA Tournament averaging 3.46 kills, 3.28 digs and 0.48 service aces per game. She finished the regular season ranked second in aces (0.46) and ninth in points per game (4.33). Larson, who is two digs away from becoming just the third Husker to reach 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs, also has 10 double-doubles on the year. Her best performance of the year came in win over Missouri on Oct. 31, when she had 17 kills and 16 digs.

Stalls is honored for the second straight year, as the senior middle blocker anchors NU’s attack. She leads the Big 12 and ranks third nationally in hitting percentage (.472), averaging 2.79 kills and a team-high 1.09 blocks per game. She is on pace to become only the second Husker to ever hit .400 or better in consecutive seasons. Stalls, who has reached double figures in kills nine times, has hit .800 or better twice this season, including an NCAA record-tying 1.000 hitting percentage on 13 swings against Texas Tech on Nov. 24.

Individual Honors
Player of the Year: Sarah Pavan, Nebraska, RS, 6-5, Sr., Kitchener, Ontario/Forest Heights Collegiate
Newcomer of the Year:  Nataly Korobkova, Kansas State OH, Jr., 6-3, Krasnoyarsk, Russia/State Siberian Technological
Freshman of the Year: Juliann Faucette, Texas, OH, 6-2, San Diego, Calif./Westview                
Defensive Player of the Year: Christina Houghtelling, Nebraska, OH, Sr., 6-2,    Cambridge, Neb./Cambridge
Libero of the Year:   Angie Lastra, Kansas State, L, Sr., 5-6, Carolina, Puerto Rico/Carvin School
Coach of the Year: Jerritt Elliott, Texas

All-Big 12 Teams

First Team

 

 

 

 

Name, School

Pos.

Cl.

Ht.

Hometown/Previous School

Erin Boeve, Iowa State

OH/MB

Sr.

6-2

Steen, Minn./Hills-Beaver Creek

Nataly Korobkova, Kansas State

OH

Jr. 

6-3

Krasnoyarsk, Russia

 

 

 

 

State Siberian Technological

Rachel Holloway, Nebraska

S

So.

5-10

Franklin, Tenn./Smoky Hill (Colo.)

Christina Houghtelling, Nebraska

OH

Sr.

6-2

Cambridge, Neb./Cambridge

Jordan Larson, Nebraska

OH

Jr.

6-2

Hooper, Neb./Logan View

Sarah Pavan, Nebraska

RS

Sr.

6-5

Kitchener, Ontario

 

 

 

 

/Forest Heights Collegiate Institute        

Tracy Stalls, Nebraska

MB

Sr.

6-3

Denver, Colo./Lakewood

Ashley Engle, Texas

OPP

So.

6-3

Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza

Juliann Faucette, Texas

OH

Fr.

6-2

San Diego, Calif./Westview

Destinee Hooker, Texas

OH

So.

6-4

San Antonio, Texas/Southwest

Michelle Moriarty, Texas

S

Sr.

5-10

Houston, Texas/Stratford

Lauren Paolini, Texas

MB

Jr.

6-5

Ann Arbor, Mich./Saline

 

 

 

 

 

Honorable-Mention

 

 

 

 

Name, School

Pos.

Cl.

Ht.

Hometown/Previous School

Megan Farr, Kansas State

MB

Jr.

5-10

Manhattan, Kan./Manhattan

Angie Lastra, Kansas State

L

Sr.

5-6

Carolina, Puerto Rico/Carvin School

Stacey Spiegelberg, K-State

S

Sr.

6-0

Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest

Na Yang, Missouri

OH

Sr.

6-3

Shan Dong, China/Shan Dong Sports

Sarah Weiland, Oklahoma

OH

Sr.

6-0

Pflugerville, Texas/Tulane University

Brandy Magee, Texas

MB

Sr.

6-2

Mission Viejo, Calif./Capistrano Valley