Senior Speeches Highlight Postseason Banquet

Lincoln - The Nebraska women's basketball team celebrated the official close of its 2010-11 season with more than 200 booster club and team support staff members at the team's postseason banquet at Memorial Stadium on Thursday, April 7.

Nebraska Coach Connie Yori handed out year-end team awards, after the Huskers' three seniors - Catheryn Redmon, Jessica Periago and Dominique Kelley - said inspirational and emotional farewells to their teammates and fans.

Redmon, who captured Nebraska's Defensive Player-of-the-Year Award, expressed her gratitude to the entire Husker support system. Redmon, who came to Nebraska from Grand Prairie, Texas, as a soft-spoken and reserved 6-3 center, delivered an excellent speech that brought a resounding applause from the crowd.

Redmon finished her four-year career ranked No. 2 on Nebraska's career blocked shot with 216, including the second-best single-season total in school history with 77 as a senior in 2010-11. She also produced her best individual season in scoring and rebounding as a senior, averaging 9.5 points and 7.2 rebounds while starting all 31 games for the Husker.

Redmon was followed by fellow senior center Periago, who began by saying, "Wow, thanks Cat. I don't know how I'm going to follow that." 

Periago, a 6-4 native from Toulon, France, who struggled early in her career to communicate at times because of the language barrier, also delivered a speech that drew cheers from the crowd. Periago, who started the final nine games of her career, was regarded as one of the Huskers' top communicators on and off the court as a senior and was honored as a three-time academic All-Big 12 selection.

Kelley, who was rarely at a loss for words in her four-year career, concluded the senior speeches with an emotional presentation. The 5-7 guard from Lincoln missed nearly all of NU's final 20 games of the season because of knee injury. She fought back tears as she thanked staff and teammates who had provided her with a family of support over her four years as a Husker.

Kelley's speech drew an extended standing ovation as many members of the audience fought back tears of their own.

Kelley, who averaged 16.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists while leading the Huskers to a 6-0 start to the 2010-11 season, joined junior teammate Kaitlyn Burke in winning Nebraska's Husker Pride Award. Burke, who started 29 games despite foot and knee injuries and a broken nose, was also honored as a two-time first-team academic All-Big 12 selection.

Sophomore guard Layne Reeves, who announced the end of her career on Jan. 13 after undergoing her fifth knee surgery, claimed Nebraska's Teammate Award.

Sophomore Lindsey Moore claimed Nebraska's top individual honor as the team's Offensive Player of the Year. The 5-9 point guard from Covington, Wash., earned honorable-mention All-Big 12 accolades by averaging 14.1 points and 5.9 assists per game on the season. Moore's production increased dramatically throughout the year, which she capped by averaging 21.0 points and 8.2 assists over NU's final five games.

Following the award presentations, Yori discussed her hopes for a bright future for the Huskers in the Big Ten Conference with the return of Moore and Big 12 All-Freshman Team selection Jordan Hooper, who averaged 14.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Those in attendance were also treated to a special Senior Video and a six-minute season highlight video produced by HuskerVision.