Greichaly Cepero Season 1999

Cepero's Honors | Career Stats

• • Big Commissioner’s Honor Roll (Spring, 2003)
  • Big 12 Co-Player of the Year (2002)
  • First-Team AVCA All-American (2002, 2000)<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>
  • Verizon/CoSIDA Second-Team Academic All-District VII (2002)
  • First-Team All-Big 12 (2002, 2001, 2000)
  • AVCA National Player of the Week, 12/2/02 (2002)
  • First-Team Academic All-Big 12 (2002, 2001, 2000)
  • Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll, Spring and Fall (2002)
  • Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year (2002)
  • US Bank/Arby’s Classic All-Tournament Team (2002, 2001, 2000)
  • AVCA Second-Team All-American (2001)
  • Verizon/CoSIDA Third-Team Academic All-American (2001)
  • First-Team Academic All-District VII (2001, 2000)
  • AVCA All-Central Region (2001, 2000)
  • Big 12 Player of the Week, 10/29 (2001)
  • Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll, Spring and Fall (2001, 2000)
  • Adidas/Notre Dame Invitational MVP (2000)
  • AVCA Volleyball Player of the Year (2000)Big Commissioner’s Honor
  • Honda Award Winner for Volleyball (2000)
  • Big 12 Volleyball Player of the Year (2000)
  • Big 12 Volleyball Newcomer of Year (1999)
  • First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Conference (Basketball 2001; Volleyball 2000, 2001, 2002)
  • First-Team All-Big 12 Volleyball (1999, 2000, 2001)
  • Big 12 Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll (Fall 1999, 2000, 2001; Spring 2000, 2001, 2002)
  • AVCA District 5 Freshman of the Year (1999)
  • Big 12 Freshman of the Year (1999)

Career Wrapup
Greichaly Cepero virtually redefined the setter position with her all-around skills and blocking ability during her highly decorated career at <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska. A first-team AVCA All-American in 2000-2002 and a second-team pick in 2001, Cepero was just the second setter in school history to become a three-time AVCA All-American. She also earned Big 12 Player-of-the-Year honors in 2000 and shared the award with teammates Amber Holmquist and Laura Pilakowski in 2002. A Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-American, Cepero was also the 2000 Honda Award winner for volleyball. The best blocking setting hitter in Nebraska history, Cepero ended her senior season tied for fourth on the all-time charts with 84 career solo blocks, ranked seventh all-time in total blocks (507) and third in set assists (3,987). In her three seasons as the starting setter, NU compiled a 96-4 record and never hit less than .300 to rank among the top 10 nationally each year.

The Personal Side
Major: Business Administration
GPA: 3.406
Family
Parents, Pedro Cepero and Maria Juan Febres
Sister, Veronica, 30
Brothers, P.J., 29, David, 26, Leonardo, 25
Hometown: Dorado, Puerto Rico
High School: Owings Mills, Md.
Date of Birth: June 11, 1981
Place of Birth: Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico

2002-03 (Junior)
One of the best volleyball players in Nebraksa history, Greichaly Cepero also earned three letters in basketball.  Cepero, who joined the basketball team after concluding the volleyball season for three seasons, lettered in 2001, 2001, and 2003. 

The Dorado, Puerto Rico, native ended her basketball career with one year of eligibility remaining, foregoing her senior season to pursue a spot on the U.S. Olympic Volleyball team.

Despite limited practice time, Cepero played 55 games in her NU basketball career with 24 starts.  She averaged 5.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in her three seasons, including 5.4 points and 5.1 boards per contest as a junior in 2002-03. 

2001-02 (Sophomore)
Cepero made quality contributions for the Huskers during the Big 12 Conference season after leading the Nebraska volleyball team back to the NCAA semifinals in December.

One of the best volleyball players in the world, Cepero claimed her second consecutive All-America award while leading NU to its second straight NCAA semifinal appearance in 2001. In 2000, Cepero was named the AVCA and Honda National Volleyball Player of the Year while leading Nebraska to its second NCAA championship.

Although she is completing her senior season on the volleyball court, Cepero was just a sophomore in basketball eligibility and got a chance to grow into the Husker basketball system in 2001-02.

After starting 16 of 21 games as a freshman, Cepero made 15 appearances in regular-season Big 12 action and played in NU?s Big 12 Tournament game against Iowa State last year. She made her only start of the season with four points and three rebounds in 15 minutes of action at Colorado on Feb. 6.

Cepero produced one of her best efforts of the year with seven points, six rebounds, one steal and one block in a season-high 23 minutes at Texas Tech, before scoring six points and grabbing seven boards against Colorado on Feb. 26.

In 2000-01, Cepero was forced into immediate action and averaged 25.6 minutes per game, while scoring 6.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest. She also pitched in 20 blocked shots for the sixth-best single-season freshman total in school history, while dishing out 1.8 assists per game.

As a sophomore, Cepero played just 12.7 minutes per game. Off the bench, Cepero provided Nebraska with one of its best defensive players. She averaged 3.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 45.0 percent (18-40) from the field and 63.6 percent (14-22) from the free throw line. Cepero averaged 5.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in NU?s final three regular-season games, before hitting her only three-pointer of the year at the Big 12 Tournament.

Cepero would have earned academic All-Big 12 honors for the second straight season and fifth time overall in her two-sport career, but she did not play in the required number of games. She did earn spots on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll both semesters.

2000-01 (Freshman)
After leading the Nebraska volleyball team to the national championship as the AVCA National Player of the Year, Cepero made her first appearance on the basketball court against Puerto Rico-Mayaguez in the San Juan Shootout on Dec. 19, just three days after the NCAA volleyball title match in Richmond, Va.

After playing in four non-conference contests, Cepero made the first start of her career in NU's Big 12 opener at Texas A&M. In her second Big 12 game, Cepero scored a career-high 14 points, while pulling down eight rebounds in a win over Kansas State. She added her only other double-figure scoring performance of the season against Baylor in the only league game that she did not start. She added a career-high four blocked shots against the Bears. She produced a career-high 14 rebounds against Missouri on Jan. 27 and played a career-high 38 minutes at Texas. She dished out a career-high eight assists against Iowa State on Feb. 4.

Cepero ranked in the top five on the team in points (6.1 ppg), rebounds (5.3 ppg), blocks (1.0 bpg), steals (20) and assists (1.8 apg).

Along with her success on the basketball court, Cepero earned first-team academic all-conference honors in the classroom.

High School
Cepero played basketball and volleyball at McDonogh High School in Owings Mills, Md., as a senior exchange student.

Cepero led McDonogh to an undefeated season and a final No. 25 national ranking by USA Today. She earned all-metro honors for Coach Katy Keating. Cepero also played AAU basketball for Coach Mike Flynn and the Philly Belles. She earned a spot on the Puerto Rican Junior National team, but did not play because of her commitments with the volleyball team. In addition to her success on the basketball court, she earned the 1998 Gatorade Circle of Champions Maryland High School Volleyball Player-of-the-Year Award after leading McDonogh to a 22-2 record and the Association of Independent Schools title.

Cepero was the Baltimore Sun's city and county volleyball player of the year and earned first-team all-metro honors.

Personal
The daughter of Pedro Cepero and Maria Juan Febres, Greichaly was born June 11, 1981, in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. Greichaly has an older sister, Veronica, 30, and three older brothers, P.J. 29, David, 26, and Leonardo, 25. Greichaly's host parents in Maryland were Victor and Lynn Brick.

Cepero has been active in the community as an "I've Got Heart" volunteer.

An outstanding student, Cepero owns a 3.406 grade-point average as a business administration major. Her father named her Greichaly in reference to the word "Greicha," which means Greece in Puerto Rican, because he hoped that his daughter would someday play in the Olympics. Cepero chose Nebraska over UCLA, Rice and Connecticut.

Cepero's Career Stats

Year

G-GS

FG-FGA

Pct.

3P-3PA

Pct.

FT-FTA

Pct.

TRB-Avg.

PF-D

A

TO

Blk

ST

Pts-Avg.

2000-01

21-16

52-118

.441

4-12

.333

20-39

.513

111-5.3

64-4

38

61

20

18

128-6.1

2001-02

16-1

18-40

.450

1-2

.500

14-22

.636

53-3.3

27-0

8

29

4

5

51-3.2

2002-03 18-7 33-97 .340 3-12 .250 28-39 .718 91-5.1 34-0 21 36 7 11 97-5.4

Career

55-24

103-255

.404

8-26

.308

62-100

.620

255-4.6

125-4

67

126

31

34

276-5.0