Melissa Elmer Season 2005

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Elmer's Honors and Awards

 

• Three-time AVCA All-American

• 2005 Honda Award Finalist

• 2005 SI on Campus U Award Winner (National Player of the Year)

• Three-Time First-Team All-Big 12

• Two-time NCAA Blocking Champion (2004-05)

• 2005 <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>USA Volleyball A2 National Team

• 2005 InfoUSA/Arby’s Players Challenge MVP

• 2005 Sports Imports Classic MVP

• 2003 Illinois State/Barker GMC Classic MVP

• 2003 Nokia Sugar Bowl Classic MVP

• Two-Year Co-Captain

• Two-Time Big 12 Player of the Week

• Two-Time Academic All-Big 12

• Four-Time Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll

Career Wrapup

Melissa Elmer finished her four-year career as one of the best blockers in NCAA history. A three-time AVCA All-American, Elmer owned Big 12 records for career blocks (767), career block assists (697), as well as single-year marks for blocks (250) and block assists (233). Elmer became the first player to lead the country in blocks in consecutive seasons (2004-05), while her 2.17 blocks per game in 2005 was the most by any player since 2002. Elmer was one of only three players in league history (Big 8/Big 12/SWC to record 1,000 kills and 600 blocks in their career, finished her career ranked 10^th on NU charts with 1,210 kills. She finished the 2005 campaign with four double-doubles (kills-blocks) and recorded 10-or-more blocks 10 times, including a Big 12 record 16 blocks against Kansas on Oct. 8. Elmer was named MVP of the Players Challenge and the Sports Imports Classic in 2005, and was a four-time tournament MVP during her Husker career.

2005: Outlook
Two-time All-American Melissa Elmer returns to anchor the Huskers’ middle blockers in 2005 ? Is one of only seven returning AVCA first-team All-Americans this fall after leading the nation in blocking in 2004 (1.89 blocks/game) ? Spent part of the summer training with the U.S. National Team, competing with the A-2 team at the Montreux Volley Masters in Montreux, Switzerland ? Led the tournament in blocking, including seven kills on .467 hitting with five blocks in a loss to reigning Olympic gold medalist China ? Enters her senior season ranked in NU’s top 10 in both block assists (464, third) and total blocks (517, seventh) and could threaten the school career marks in both categories set by three-time All-American Amber Holmquist (1999-2002) ? Has the natural ability to be a focal point in the Huskers’ offense in 2005 ? Is a returning captain who inspires her teammates with a tremendous work ethic.

“Melissa has gained a great deal of confidence from her experience with the USA program and the success she enjoyed at that level,” Nebraska Coach John Cook said. “She got to see a lot of bigger, faster athletes and teams that play much faster than she’s used to in college. That exposure will give her a good perspective on college volleyball and will make her a better player for us this season.”

2004: Junior Season
Elmer lived up to her reputation as one of the nation’s top middle blockers, earning first-team AVCA All-America honors in 2004 ? Led the nation with 1.89 blocks per game, becoming only the second Husker to record 200 blocks in a season ? Topped NU in hitting percentage (.345), a total that was fifth in the Big 12, while  averaging 2.91 kills per game ? Paced  all league players in blocks per game in Big 12 matches (2.00) and was third in hitting percentage (.363) ? Recorded double-figure block totals five times, including an 18-kill, 12-block effort at Oklahoma on Nov. 20, that clinched NU’s outright Big 12 title ? Had a season-best 12 blocks - the highest single-match total in the league in 2004 - in a sweep of Kansas on Nov. 12 when she also added nine kills on .500 hitting ? Tallied 10 blocks on three other occasions, including the regional title game against USC on Dec. 11 ? Was one of NU’s top postseason performers, hitting .500 in each of the Huskers’ first three NCAA contests, including a 13-kill effort on .500 hitting at No. 15 Louisville on Dec. 10 ? Had 12 kills on .550 hitting against Iona on Dec. 3 and added nine kills and five blocks while hitting .500 against Wichita State the following evening ? Reached double figures in kills in 13 matches, including each of Nebraska’s first three matches ? Hit a match-high .562 on 11 kills and four blocks in a sweep of No. 25 Notre Dame on Sept. 3 ? Sparked NU’s sweep over Missouri on Sept. 17 by hitting .455 with 13 kills and three blocks ? Matched a season-high with 13 kills in a win over No. 11 Texas A&M on Sept. 26 ? Tallied 13 kills against Baylor on Oct. 23 and versus Texas Tech on Nov. 3 before eclipsing that effort with her 18-kill outburst at Oklahoma on Nov. 20 ? Led NU’s comeback against No. 10 Texas on Oct. 20, drilling 12 kills on .389 hitting while adding six blocks and five digs in the comeback over the Longhorns ? Was fourth on the team with 19 aces, as she recorded a season-best four in a win over No. 18 Texas A&M on Nov. 27.

2003: Sophomore Season
Elmer enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign, earning second-team AVCA All-America honors and first-team All-Big 12 honors ? Ranked sixth nationally with 1.59 blocks per game, while averaging 3.09 kills on .352 hitting ? Was also second on the team with 36 aces and added 83 digs ? Increased her numbers in Big 12 matches, leading the league in blocks (1.64) and hitting percentage (.379) ? Emerged as one of the best blockers in school history, as her 169 blocks ranked third on NU’s single-season list  ? Recorded seven or more blocks 11 times, including a career-best 15 blocks at Kansas on Oct. 8, the third-highest total in school history ? Her total against the Jayhawks was the highest  by an NU player during the rally-scoring era, and the most blocks by any player in the Big 12 in 2003 ? Hit .300 or better in 20 of 33 matches, including eight of nine matches in November, when she averaged 3.28 kills per game on .401 hitting ? Recorded back-to-back .500-plus matches against Kansas on Oct. 8 (.577) and KSU on Oct. 11 (.548) ? Turned in a dominant performance against Dayton in the NCAA Tournament on Dec. 6, pounding 15 kills on .737 hitting, setting a school record for highest hitting percentage in a postseason match ? Averaged 3.50 kills per game on .316 hitting in three NCAA Tournament matches ? Reached double-figure kill totals in two postseason matches (Dec. 6 vs. Dayton and Dec. 12 vs. UCLA) and 18 times overall ? Had at least two service aces in 10 matches and recorded a career-best five aces against Clemson on Aug. 29 ? Garnered Big 12 Player-of-the-Week honors Oct. 13 after averaging 2.33 blocks per game and 3.89 kills per game on an incredible .561 hitting percentage against Kansas and Kansas State ? Named to three all-tournament teams in NU’s first three weeks of the season ? Named MVP of the Illinois State/Barker GMC Classic  (Aug. 29-30) and the Nokia Sugar Bowl Classic (Sept. 5-6) ? Selected to the  US Bank/Arby’s Classic All-Tournament team, averaging 3.17 kills per game on .317 hitting and 1.25 blocks per game against three ranked teams.

2002: Freshman Season
Elmer made a major impact in her first season of collegiate volleyball ? Ranked second in the Big 12 in both hitting percentage (.381) and blocks per game (1.30) ? Averaged 2.31 kills per game and was second on the team with 28 service aces ? Was one of the Huskers’ most effective weapons in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 3.00 kills per game while hitting .413 in four marches ? Combined to hit .606 in NU’s first two NCAA matches (Tennessee-Martin and Arizona State), totaling 11 kills against UT-Martin and 10 against the Sun Devils ? Got off to a blistering start, hitting .500 or better in six of NU’s first 12 matches, including six kills on .545 hitting against top-ranked USC on Sept. 2  ? Her performance against USC was one of 22 matches that she hit better than .300 ? Also served as one of NU’s top defensive players, producing at least five blocks 11 times, including a season-high nine blocks against Miami in the NCAA Regional semifinals on Dec. 13 ? Totaled a season-high four service aces against Pittsburgh in NU’s season opener on Aug. 31.

High School
Elmer committed to Nebraska in September of 2000 after a decorated career at Northrop (Ind.) High School ? Led Northrop to Indiana Class 4A state finals appearances in 1997 and 1999 ? Garnered first-team all-state and All-Summit Athletic Conference selection in both 1999 and 2000 ? Totaled 330 kills, 101 blocks and 149 digs during her senior season ? Named the Fort Wayne Prepsports/News Sentinel Volleyball Player of the Year and the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette Volleyball Player of the Year ? Finished her prep career with 267 career blocks ? Was a two-time Prepsports Volleyball Player of the Week and was selected to the North Senior All-Star Team after the 2000 season ? Played club volleyball for the Munciana Ravens, leading the squad to the 2001 USA Junior Olympic Gold Championship in the 18 Open division ? Was selected to the all-tournament team ? Also played basketball and track at Northrop High School ? Averaged 18 points and eight rebounds as a senior to earn honorable-mention all-state honors and first-team All-Summit Athletic Conference recognition ? Set a school record in track with a leap of 5-6 in the high jump in 2001.