Big 12 volleyball
After a rollercoaster ride through conference play in 2009, the Aggies finished strong with a trip to the Sweet 16. The losses of All-Americans Sarah Ammerman and Jennifer Banse and team-leader Mary Batis will put a lot of pressure on the young roster to perform. Freshman middle blocker Lindsey Miller and junior “do-it-all” Kelsey Black will need to step up if A&M wants to reach the NCAA Tournament again.
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n 2009, the Big 12 sent six teams to the NCAA Championships and sent five of the six to the Sweet 16 of the tournament. Nebraska and Texas squared off in an all-Big 12 Elite Eight showdown, and the Longhorns were a set away from a shocking national championship victory over powerhouse Penn State. Now, with superstars such as Destinee Hooker and Heather Kisner having moved on, the conference is littered with uncertainty. The usual powerhouses — Nebraska and Texas — remain the favorites but many young, hungry squads are hoping the underdogs reign in the Big 12.
Following their first ever trip to the Sweet 16, the Baylor Bears face a tough challenge in replacing leading-scorer Katie Sanders and All-Americans Anna Breyfogle and Taylor Barnes. Senior outside hitter Ashlie Christenson will have to pick up the slack if the Bears want to continue their recent success on the volleyball court. After a historic season, the Longhorns’ dominance in 2009 has been overcast with the failure that ended it. After taking a 2-0 lead over Penn State in the NCAA Championship, Texas lost three straight sets to lose the National Championship. Losing the nation’s co-player of the year and one of the most dominant players in Big 12 history, Destinee Hooker, Texas will rely on senior outside hitter Julianne Faucet and head coach Jerritt Elliot’s fifth-ranked recruiting class. One of the most experienced teams in the Big 12, Oklahoma is in good position to make a run in 2010. The Sooners return two All-Big 12 selections in junior setter Brianne Barker and senior middle block Francie Ekwerekwu and All-Big 12 freshman Maria Fernanda. The loss of Bridget Laplante is softened by a strong recruiting class by Head Coach Santiago Restrepo, who is trying to bring the Sooners back to the success of 2006 and 2007. New Texas Tech head coach Trish Knight will look to turn around a program that has been dormant for quite some time. On the bright side, the Lady Raiders return leading-scorer junior Amanda Dowdy and junior setter Karlyn Meyers. Despite Knight’s tremendous success at Missouri State-West Plains, it may take a few years before Tech can reestablish themselves in the Big 12.
Preseason awards Offensive Player of the Year: Victoria Henson – Iowa State (Sr.) Defensive Player of the Year: Brooke Delano - Nebraska (Sr.) Libero of the Year: Ashley Mass – Iowa State (Sr.)
Brooke Delano
Juliann Faucette
All-conference team
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Victoria Henson (Iowa State, Sr.) Arguably the best offensive player in the conference, Henson returns as the Big 12’s leading returning scorer after tallying 4.14 kills per set in 2009. This season she will try to take the next step in leading the Cyclones to their first Big 12 Championship.
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Juliann Faucette (Texas, Sr.) (above right) With the departure of phenom Destinee Hooker, Faucette will need to step up and become the Longhorns next star. The All-American returns after averaging 3.17 kills per set with one of the country’s best players in front of her.
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Brooke Delano (Nebraska, Jr.) (above left) Delano enters 2010 after solidifying herself as a force inside last season. The All-American averaged 2.34 kills and 1.09 blocks per set as a sophomore and will try to earn the Cornhuskers a conference title in their final Big 12 season.
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Lindsey Miller (Texas A&M, So.) After an impressive freshman season, Miller will play a much larger role in her second year. Named a Big 12 all-freshman selection, she led the Aggies in blocks and is the team’s leading returning scorer.
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Sydney Anderson (Nebraska, Sr.) One of the country’s top setters in 2009, Anderson will utilize her experience in quarterbacking the Cornhuskers’ attack this season. The All-American averaged a conference-high 12.09 assists per set last season.
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Ashley Mass (Iowa State, Sr.) Perhaps the Cyclones best advantage this season, the libero and defensive specialist led the conference in digs in 2009. Mass was named first team All-American after averaging 5.49 digs per set. Mike Teague, staff writer
How they’ll finish
Freshman of the Year: Hannah Allison – Texas
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In their final season as a member of the Big 12, Nebraska boasts one of the best rosters in the conference and nation. The Cornhuskers return three All-Americans in junior middle blocker Brooke Delano, senior setter Sydney Anderson, and 2009 Big 12 freshman of the year Hannah Werth. Combining these experienced talents with the addition of three freshmen ranking in the Top 20 of the class of 2009, Head Coach John Cook will look to add one more Big 12 trophy to the case before splitting for the Big Ten. Iowa State will look to take the program to the next level this season as they come off their third-straight trip to the Sweet 16 and a program-record of 27 wins in 2009. Big 12 coach of the year Christy Johnson-Lynch returns her top five scorers from 2009, including Big 12 Libero of the year, Ashley Mass, and fellow All-American Victoria Henson. The key for the Cyclones will be to find a replacement for Kaylee Manns who led the conference in assists in 2009.
Following Foll Fo llllow owin ow ingg a in disappointing season for Head Coach Suzie Fritz, the Wildcats will need leading-scorer JuliAnne Chisholm to take charge in 2010. Missing in the middle will be All-Big 12 selection Kelsey Chipman, who led the Big 12 in solo blocks in 2009. Inexperience will be Kansas State’s biggest challenge, as two seniors will try to manage the rest of the roster, which consists of five sophomores and two freshmen. An experienced group of five seniors will try to escalate the improvement that Missouri underwent last season. Big 12 newcomer of the year Paola Ampudia returns after leading the team in kills. Despite the powerful offense that the Tigers present, they will need to replace setter Lei WangFrancisco and find a director of the offense. Despite the large strides taken by Kansas’ volleyball program in 2009, the road ahead is going to be difficult for the Jayhawks. Senior outside-hitter Karina Garlington and junior setter Nicole Tate will need their experience to improve their team’s record in 2010. Losing four starters will only make their job more difficult.
1. Iowa State 2. Nebraska 3. Texas 4. Texas A&M 5. Oklahoma 6. Missouri 7. Baylor 8. Kansas State 9. Kansas 10. Texas Tech 11. Colorado
Newcomer of the Year: Taylor Manning – Kansas (So.) Most Improved: Kelsey Black – Texas A&M (Jr.)
Coming off another rough season, Colorado will look to rebound in 2010 with returning outside hitters Kerra Shroeder and Rosie Steinhaus. Despite the departure of leadingscorer Becah Fogle and setter Kaitlyn Burkett, the Buffaloes added nine freshmen to the roster to build toward a brighter future in the Pac-10 beginning in 2012.
Courtesy photos
The Big 12 will once again be one of the most competitive conferences in the country in 2010. Iowa State, Nebraska, and Texas are destined to engage in a tight race all season that will come down to the wire. The conference championship could be decided when these three teams play each other. When it comes down to it, Iowa State’s experience along with star Victoria Henson may be too much for Nebraska’s talent and the Cyclones could keep the Cornhuskers from leaving the Big 12 with another title. Behind the three powerhouses, A&M, led by Kelsey Black, has a chance to edge out Oklahoma, Missouri and Baylor. Five teams should make it to the NCAA Tournament, so this group has little room for error. All four could make runs into the top three, but a few losses, and they will see their season ending early. Despite their limited chances at clinching a tournament bid, Kansas and Kansas State will still be competitive, quality opponents that could come up with a devastating upset over the teams in the middle of the pack. Texas Tech and Colorado should see some improvement this season, but not in conference play.
Mike Teague, staff writer
8/24/10 5:45 PM