Walker Named to All-MWC Team

COLORADO SPRINGS -- The Mountain West All-Conference Volleyball awards as selected by the league's nine head coaches were announced today. Colorado State junior Danielle Minch was named Player of the Year, while Wyoming’s Jodi Purdy was voted Freshman of the Year, and Tom Hilbert of Colorado State was selected Coach of the Year.

Minch, a native of Sterling, Colo., earned her first player of the year honor after leading Colorado State to its sixth outright regular-season championship. Minch finished the regular season leading the league in kills per set in Conference matches (3.80). She also ranks second in the MWC in kills (3.77) and points per set (4.16) in overall matches, and finished Conference play ranking third in points per set (4.16). Minch has tallied double-digit kills in 19 matches this season and was honored as the MWC Player of the Week on November 16.

Purdy, an outside hitter from Winterset, Iowa, earned MWC Freshman of the Year accolades after completing the season ranked third in kills per set (3.43) and fourth in points per set (3.90) in overall matches. She also finished ninth in service aces per set in all matches (0.24). In league play, Purdy ranked fourth in kills per set (3.32) and fourth in points per set (3.71). She also ranked in the top-15 in digs per set in overall and Conference matches (2.53 and 2.63, respectively). Purdy is the top-rated MWC freshman in kills and points per set in both overall and league matches. She also tallied double-figure kills in 23 of 31 matches played this season and averaged 0.42 blocks per set.

Hilbert was named MWC Coach of the Year for the seventh time in his career. He led the 23rd-ranked Rams to their sixth outright and seventh overall MWC regular-season title with a 15-1 Conference record. Hilbert also guided Colorado State to its 11th 20-win season as members of the MWC.

BYU’s Kayla Walker, Colorado State’s Tessa Nelson, New Mexico’s Jade Michaelsen, San Diego State’s Lauren Salisbury, TCU’s Christy Hudson, and Utah’s Karolina Bartkowiak were repeat selections from last year. Colorado State’s Katelin Batten, Danielle Minch, Megan Plourde and Evan Sanders were joined on the squad by New Mexico’s Taylor Hadfield and Rose Morris, TCU’s Katelyn Blackwood, Kourtney Edwards and Megan Munce, UNLV’s Cursty Jackson, and Utah’s Chelsey Sandberg as first-time honorees.

2009 MOUNTAIN WEST ALL-CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL
Name                 School   Class     Position    Hometown
Kayla Walker!        BYU      Sr.       OH          Kaysville, Utah
Danielle Minch       CSU      Jr.       OH          Sterling, Colo.
Tessa Nelson!        CSU      Sr.       MB          Balaton, Minn.
Megan Plourde        CSU      RS-Fr.    MB          Somerset, Wis.
Evan Sanders         CSU      So.       S           Lafayette, Colo.
Taylor Hadfield      UNM      Jr.       MB          Corte Madera, Calif.
Jade Michaelsen!     UNM      Jr.       S           Tucson, Ariz.
Rose Morris          UNM      Sr.       OH          Albuquerque, N.M.
Lauren Salisbury!    SDSU     Jr.       MB          Southlake, Texas
Katelyn Blackwood    TCU      Sr.       L           Houston, Texas
Kourtney Edwards     TCU      Sr.       MB          Haltom City, Texas
Christy Hudson!      TCU      Jr.       RS          Yorba Linda, Calif.
Cursty Jackson       UNLV     So.       MB          Los Angeles, Calif.
Karolina Bartkowiak! Utah     Jr.       OPP         Aurora, Ill.
Chelsey Sandberg     Utah     Sr.       MB          West Jordan, Utah
Setter – Megan Munce TCU      So.       S           Costa Mesa, Calif.
Libero – Katelin Batten, Colorado State Sr.         Parker, Colo.
Player of the Year - Danielle Minch, Colorado State
Freshman of the Year - Jodi Purdy, Wyoming
Coach of the Year - Tom Hilbert, Colorado State
!Notes repeat selections.